


Gale Force

by EclipseMage



Series: Final Soulburst [15]
Category: Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy Type-0, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: Big heckin' crossover, Edgar doesn't take care of himself, Fang just wants to kill stuff, Gen, Sabin doesn't take well to that, VI aftermath, World of Ruin, struggling to survive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-11-28 04:43:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18203693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EclipseMage/pseuds/EclipseMage
Summary: In a dying world, Fang soldiers on to protect what remains of humanity. Sabin is convinced there’s a way to get around this, but honestly, Fang is ready to accept this as her life for what little remains of it. Contains spoilers for Final Fantasy VI and the XIII series.





	1. Chapter 1

At least they got some unity out of this place.

Fang walked through twilight amongst what remained of Kohlingen. They set up their last fortifications here and the King of Figaro even brought his castle out a while back. A lot of manpower went into building it all up since, but their resources weren’t exactly forgiving.

Villagers chatted amongst themselves as they went about the day’s work. Men and women returned from the fields with handfuls of pickings that would keep people alive until the next chance to eat.

She herself wasn’t much of a builder or a farmer. Never was, even… before this. So she focused her efforts on the shifts she took protecting the place. Better not to let the desperate, feral monsters get close to what remained of civilization. This may not be the only outpost they had, but it was the one with the most resources.

And she was one of the only people here suited to the more vicious type of labor. The rest barely managed a single shift in the fields without complaining of exhaustion.

The last shift returned empty. No predator or prey to provide meat for the hungry. Despite that, they joked and laughed amongst themselves like their burned skin didn’t cling to their bones.

She much preferred this crowd to the others.

“Hey, Fang!” Sabin greeted her by the “village exit,” an opening in a pathetic line of fence. “Ready?”

“What do you take me for?” She pulled her spear off the clip on her back and clenched her fingers around its roughened grip. The monsters weakened with the rest of the world, but it was all the sport she could find. And sport was all she had to remind her she was still Oerban – a meaning she took for herself since no one knew where her name came from.

Sabin rolled his arm around his shoulder and it popped. “I thought you might get tired of night shifts by now.”

“And you might get tired of drinking clean water.” Fang spun her staff in one hand. “Give me a break.”

Sabin gave her an appraising look. “Not everyone enjoys these trips like you do.”

“Not everyone has their head on right.”

They left the village, ready for hours of the same thing all over again. Go kill a few dogs that didn’t have enough meat between them to feed more than their scrawniest kid.

The sky twinkled with distant stars beyond the clouds of pollution and a cool breeze pushed back the warmth that radiated from the ground. They walked at a leisurely pace and Fang slung her spear across her shoulders. This wasn’t so bad. The apocalypse understandably had people upset, but at least it couldn’t get any worse.

… Only, it could.

Sabin made it clear before that the king had yet to pull anything up with his advisors. The apocalypse didn’t end this world – the _aftermath_ would.

Kefka did a good job, killing the soil that made up so much of the best land. Most of the water in the world was polluted at best and toxic at worst. Kohlingen did all right for itself, but that would only last for so much longer. Even if they took the time to transport all the drinkable water they could find and shore up on food, they had a matter of years at best.

Fang and Sabin fell into the routine they followed every night. Him on the left, her on the right, weapons out, eyes scanning side to side, up and down. Only the scarcest words once they started on the path outside and no distracting talk.

On the way they passed other sentries stationed around the village, but then those guys fell beyond sight when Sabin and Fang moved out far enough.

Such a quiet night. Insects chirped as the sun slipped past the horizon, but even those were hard to hear with their reduced numbers.

“Wait.” Sabin held a hand out in front of Fang.

She drew up short and looked for whatever caught his eye. Something moved in the plains beyond – horns glinted above gray skin. The form of something large, but not as bulky as it might have been once.

Destroyer. One that was not as attentive as its kind tended to be.

Fang rolled her shoulders and Sabin jumped forward.

The beast snapped to attention and charged their way. Fang leapt upwards, angled the spear down and-

It dodged just before she hit and the monster rammed straight into Sabin.

Sabin grappled with its horn and forced its face downward. It shoved him off.

Fang paused for a moment, impressed. It was a long time since they encountered any kind of monster capable of winning a strength contest with _Sabin_.

The man rolled onto his feet as the destroyer took a few steps backwards. It huffed and gauged them. It had a higher intelligence then most chocobos, but it still wasn’t smart enough to not try again.

It lunged at Fang, but she dodged away.

The beast hurtled past and stopped. Shook its head, disoriented.

Fang jumped.

And landed her spear squarely in between the shoulders before coming to a kneel on the thing’s back. Its feral scream pierced the air and vibrated beneath her.

Sabin came around on its side and Fang barely had enough time to retreat before Sabin knocked it over and slammed a fist into its skull.

It writhed on the ground, screeching. Fang watched those legs flail uselessly for too long a moment. She must have damaged some nerves there.

Sabin took the head and snapped the neck. Fang whistled and spun her spear. It would still be a few hours before she could clean it off, which meant walking around with a bloodied, foul mess. She wasn’t about to reclip it to her back, cloth out here was rare. No way she was going to damage what she had.

“Good thing we caught it.” Fang said between breaths. “Beastie woulda messed our place right up.”

“Should have put it out of its misery sooner.” Sabin huffed and stared down at the corpse.

“Oh, come on.” Fang rolled her eyes. “Not like there’s all that much meat to damage on this thing. Besides, the stress set in a long time ago.”

Sabin frowned at her, then looked back down at the emaciated destroyer. This would have been one of its last grabs for food. Pathetic.

Fang closed her eyes and focused on catching her breath – it wasn’t good to exert herself as hungry as she was.

Opened her eyes again. And breath caught in her throat. The destroyer was gone, replaced with the broken and bloodied body of a girl with pink pigtails. A girl whose chest still rose and fell with the shallowest breaths.

“Fang, snap out of it.” Jerked her head to look at Sabin. “You with me?”

She looked back down, but the destroyer was back.

Man, she hated it when people saw her space out – damn Sabin. “We were talking about the quality of this meat.” She jabbed the spear towards the corpse for emphasis. “It’s shit. End of story.”

Sabin sighed. “We still need to haul it back. Could provide a whole meal for some people.”

“And ain’t that just the best we can ask. You wanna go, or should I?” she asked, looking back towards town. They kept the lights off in the evening so as not to attract unwanted attention. Something everyone learned to do during Kefka’s rule. “Can’t say I’m excited to go back, yet.”

He gave her a knowing look. “I’ll go. You keep those predators away.”

She gave him a nod before he walked away. Sabin at least didn’t seem to care about her episodes, but certain others in the village were put off by… a variety of things. Not to mention that damned tail of hers that cropped up like a magnet whenever Fang came back.

This was just a precaution, leaving someone to watch the meat. There were so few animals around here that it felt unnecessary. Thankfully, the Veldt had hunting lodges set up and they could fall back there if they wanted.

Fang sighed and sat down in the grass. Usually the dark of night brought her contentment, but the destroyer set her on edge.

She closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the faint chirping around her. Listened to the dying wilderness and its fading inhabitants.

Imagined the way she merged with her co-predestined and felt the blood-boiling rage of a beast formed for the felling of a world. Muscles spread and transformed, arms grew from her back, and she lost the sense of self that she knew as a child.

Remembered the chilling cry that wrenched itself from her chest when she emerged from the boiling rock of Cocoon’s falling surface. The screaming death of a planet that yearned for the destruction of its sister world and the roar of a dragon spirit that swore its loyalty beyond the end of the world.

Snapped back to the present and remembered the faint breeze that teased her hair.

Something moved near the town. Fang snapped her eyes open and looked to find Sabin’s form become apparent a moment later with some half-dozen companions to assist him.

She jumped to her feet and left her spear sitting in the grass. “That’s something, at least,” she muttered to herself.

Gau bounded forward and sniffed at the corpse. “Good.” He grinned at her as he stood. His mannerisms were a little unnerving, somehow crossed between normal and wild. “Catch.” He grabbed one of the front limbs as the others – most of whom Fang didn’t know – took other parts of the beast and hoisted it into the air.

Sabin gestured for them to get started.

“Get it cooked up quick,” Fang ordered. “Don’t want any diseases breaking out, you know.”

Sabin nodded. “We’ll get it handled.”

“You’d better.” Fang stabbed her spear in the dirt and ran a hand through her hair. “I’ll not have you wasting my handiwork.”

“This isn’t the best you could do.”

Fang froze. “Ah, hell, how did I miss _you_ there?”

Deuce stepped into view from behind one of the larger men. “Happens all the time.”

“Why’d you let her come, Sabin?” Fang hissed. “Bastard.”

Sabin shrugged. “It’s not _my_ problem,.”

“We’ve run out of time, Fang.” Deuce pressed closer. “We can’t stay here any longer.”

Fang groaned and yanked her spear back to her. “Does that make sense to you, Sabin? Do you think we would be staying here if we had anywhere to go?”

“Where are you thinking about, Deuce?” Sabin asked. The girl had shown up a few weeks before and had yet to give Fang any semblance of space. She was insistent that Fang practice meditation and kept prodding at her with weird questions like Fang was some test subject.

“I…” Deuce shifted. “I wanted to stay and help everyone out. But… things have changed. You can’t stay here.”

Fang rolled her eyes. “What’s so different about _me_?”

“Everything.”

“No.” Fang joined Sabin. “I’m not leaving my crew, little girl.”

Deuce opened her mouth to protest. “I suppose you have… a few years on me.”

“I hope you don’t mean what I think you mean.”

“I-!” Deuce flushed. “No, but-”

“We should get on with our patrol,” Sabin said. Deuce gave him a tight-lipped look.

“I’ll come too,” she said. “The more, the safer.”

Fang groaned as loud as she could and threw her head back. “What, I can’t even hunt in peace, anymore?”

“We don’t know what could be out there.”

“Actually, we kinda do.” Fang rapped the ground with her spear. “Been doing this for a while, you know? I don’t need some girl to tell me how to do my job.”

“I’m not just some _girl_.”

“My foot.” Fang gestured in the direction she would go. “Maybe I’ll let you prove it tonight, and if you’re right, you leave me alone.”

“I don’t think that’s-”

“I know what you think.” Fang started walking. “Made it very clear over the past several days, you know.”

Deuce gave a short sigh and followed. “You can’t take these things so lightly.”

“You telling me what to do?”

“I’m reminding you of the responsibility you gained when you gathered thousands of years’ worth of memories.”

“And people say _I’m_ mad.”

Sabin shifted. “Maybe I should go ahead.”

“I don’t see why.” Fang gave Deuce a pointed look. “We’re fine, aren’t we?”

Deuce pursed her lips. “Of course.”

Their pace quickened and silence fell. Fang rested her spear against her shoulder and ignored the nagging sense that Deuce was right.

And that Fang knew that.

* * *

There had to be a way.

Sabin entered Kohlingen as the sun’s first rays shone over the hills. They had had so much hope when the balance was restored and Kefka fell. They held on to that hope even when disease spread, people died, food stocks emptied, and most towns were abandoned in the hopes of finding better land.

The Falcon roared in the air above him, right on time. Maybe Setzer would bring some good news from Thamasa.

A door opened beside him and Relm hurried out of the building she shared with Strago, Interceptor at her ankles. She jumped down the step and stood tall beside Sabin, grinning up at the Falcon as it landed near the town.

“Race you there!” Relm shouted before springing forward and sprinting towards the ship. Interceptor followed, working hard not to outpace the girl. Sabin chuckled and lightly jogged after her.

The ship groaned as it touched ground. Sabin still wasn’t sure why it remained upright when it did – Setzer wasn’t particularly straightforward when Sabin asked.

He arrived to see Relm jumping up and down as the crew disembarked. Cyan came out first, and Sabin’s heart dropped when Terra came next. She was slow and paler than when she left. After she set foot on the ground, Cyan steadying her, Setzer himself slid down the rope ladder. They made the right choice to get her kids adopted and put in others’ care.

“Did you get my books?” Relm asked with a clap of her hands. Interceptor barked at them and danced about in circles.

Terra gave Relm a wan smile and slid a bag off her shoulder. “I did, Relm. Here. A lot of them aren’t even that damaged.”

Relm squealed as she accepted the bag and peered inside. “Thanks, guys!”

“How did the rest of the mission go?” Sabin asked. Relm had tacked on the request for some of her old sketchbooks when she heard they were going to Thamasa, a land that used to be plentiful in magical energy.

“We found not what we sought.” Cyan gave Terra a worried look. She gave him an encouraging one.

“No, we didn’t find what we were looking for.” She spoke so quietly, Sabin leaned in to hear her. “But we did find some food and water that were untainted.”

“A godsend. You need help unloading?” Sabin rested a hand on his hip. “I can go get a few more hands. How many kegs?”

“Hundred-fifty-nine.” Setzer kept a hand on the rope ladder. “We’ve enough hands available to get them all down now?”

“Should.” Sabin looked to Terra. The food and water were a miracle to be sure, but they left in hopes of saving _Terra_. Without magic, she wouldn’t last the year.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to check in on the kids.” Terra gave the group another weak smile before walking off.

“These are all so much better than the ones I have.” Relm closed the bag, satisfied. “All those projects I put off finally have a place to go.”

“One-hundred-sixty kegs.” Sabin whistled. “Must’ve taken most of the trip to load it all up. I’ll go round up some help.”

Cyan stood stiff and Setzer stretched. Relm took the bag of sketchbooks and ran, presumably to stash it all away. Sabin walked back into the town proper which exuded the first signs of energy with a handful of people exiting their shelters to greet the day.

“Hey.” Sabin paused as one of their newest family members approached, a lean man with pointed features, ridiculous blonde hair, and the flattest voice Sabin heard in years. “What’s the ship here for?”

“Delivering food and water.” Sabin clapped a hand on the man’s shoulder, but even that didn’t lift his spirits, going by the lack of reaction. “Help us get it stowed away?”

“Yeah.”

“Food and water?” asked another, Sazh. “You need to ask for help for that stuff? What is this world coming to?”

“Not much,” said the flat-toned one. Cloud, if Sabin remembered correctly.

Sazh grunted. “Good for you. We need more humor these days.”

“Glad to provide it.”

Sabin blinked at the two. Then left to find more hands.

Within the hour, he had almost two dozen people out and carting kegs through the town and into the storage cellar. By the time they finished, the place was almost filled.

Sabin exited the building with everyone else and brushed his hands off. The sun had climbed further and he knew it was far past time to check in with Edgar.

“Hey, Cloud!” A little girl ran past Sabin and barreled into the emotionless man from before. “It’s time for breakfast, right?”

“Right.” He took her hand and they went off to the food hall. Sabin shrugged. He didn’t have the time to eat yet. Instead, he turned towards the town hall where, at this point, Edgar should be.

He walked into the wooden building that smelled of dust despite its inhabitants. They used every bit of space they had in this town, with hundreds of sick living in the nearby Figaro castle itself.

Advisors and sagely figures, a ton of them from old Thamasa, milled around the main floor, discussing various things with each other and Edgar, who sat at a chair with a desk by the back window. Strago was here too, reading books from what had to be decades ago.

Sabin crossed the floor towards Edgar.

“Hey, bro.” Sabin stopped in front of Edgar’s desk and folded his arms. “There’s some good news and some bad news.”

Edgar looked up at him with sunken eyes. “Yes?”

Sabin forced a breath at his brother’s sickly appearance. “We found a load of water and nothing for Terra.”

“I heard.” He’d really thought that it would bring a little more energy to his brother. Edgar had been keeping atop all the supplies they had, and this was something they desperately needed. Edgar continued, “It’ll help us survive another few weeks, but our runway is just not enough. We’re looking at six months, maximum, Sabin. We need more than water. We need food, phoenix downs, potions. Setzer reported no signs of medicinals. Looters must have left the water because they couldn’t carry it.”

“It’s still something.” But Sabin couldn’t shake the words. They were dying. “What about the dragongrass herbs? That crop is about ready to harvest. Right, Strago?” He shouted the last words towards the mage halfway across the room.

Strago didn’t look up. “The dragongrass is drying out. We’ve already burned half the crop.”

“But not all of it.” Sabin glanced between Strago and Edgar, desperation clawing up his stomach. “It only takes a few months to grow. With the water we have, we can spare some for the herbs.”

Strago shook his head. “Depends on how much of that water we need for other things.”

Sabin spread his arms out to the side. “We can find more. Other towns might have stashes like Thamasa, more kegs that were too heavy for looters.”

“...Maybe.” Edgar stood and looked out the window. “The resources have lifted spirits, I see.”

“And they have work to distract them.” Sabin tapped the desk. “You’re stuck inside so you don’t have anything to get your mind off the numbers. You need to get out more, bro.”

Strago came their way before Edgar could respond and said, “The kegs are larger than Setzer reported. It might not be such a bad idea to try another crop of dragongrass.”

“The soil won’t revitalize soon enough.” Edgar turned away from the early morning light. “We must keep the water for the people or one of our other crops that show greater promise.”

“How much of it lives?” Sabin asked.

“We’ve estimated six percent.” Strago’s expression grew long and forlorn. “We could save maybe a few dozen of those sick if we ration it right.”

Sabin sucked in a breath. “That’s not good enough. Not to mention that you need some fresh air if you don’t want to end up with the rest of them in the castle and use up more of those herbs.”

“We’ve been over this.” Edgar waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll handle myself and you worry about everyone else.”

“That’s not how it works, bro.”

Edgar groaned. “Maybe not, but I’m going to pretend that it is. I suggest you do the same.”

Sabin growled and left. The air outside felt stifling in his lungs and he found himself missing the crisp forest air of before.

“Hey, Sabin,” came Terra’s voice when he paused outside the town hall. “We found another one.”

“Another what?” Sabin turned to see her and found a girl in dirtied, fanciful robes with Terra. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties.

Another mouth to feed. He kept thinking that they must have had every soul left in this ruined world before more showed up.

“Great!” He forced a grin and reached a hand out. “Welcome! What’s your name?”

“L-…” She cleared her throat. “Leonora, sir.”

“Sabin Figaro.” He released her hand with a small bow. “Where you from?”

“Um.” Leonora looked about them. “Far away, I think. I’m not… not entirely sure how I got here. I’m, uh… alone. A nomad, I guess.”

“Well, we’ll take right-” Terra stifled a cough and broke into a fit. Sabin clenched a fist so hard, his nails bit into his palms.

“Are you okay?” Leonora asked, staff out. “I can try white magic, or…”

Terra eventually stopped and took a deep breath. “Please, don’t worry about it. This isn’t something anyone can help with.”

Terra’s other half needed magic to survive, but there was no such thing left on this world.

“Um, I don’t mean to impose,” Leonora said. “I’m um, I’m looking for a way off this world. If you happen to know where one is?”

Sabin scoffed. “If we knew a way off world then we would have taken everyone through it a long time ago.”

“I wish we did,” Terra whispered.

Sabin cleared his throat. “We’ll find another way. Just gotta keep looking.”

Leonora looked between them with nervous, darting eyes. Large eyes that made her look younger than he suspected her to be.

“This…” Leonora swallowed hard. “This world is dying. Isn’t it.”

Sabin let out a long sigh. “No. It died a long time ago. We’re just trying to put off joining it. I don’t know how you found your way here, but if you left something better behind, I suggest you retrace your steps.”

“It’s… not like that.”

Terra coughed again and made a rattling sound in her throat.

Leonora stepped forward. “Please, let me try at the very least.”

Sabin couldn’t find it in himself to object and Leonora stepped up to Terra before summoning white magic.

From…

Where?

Terra’s eyes shot wide open before Leonora offered the spell and Terra absorbed it faster than dirt took water.

Color retuned to Terra’s face. Leonora beamed and Sabin felt a thrill of hope in his chest.

A flash of light and something cracked.

Leonora screamed and collapsed to her knees while Terra, glowing with an ethereal light, stumbled back.

Leonora put a shaking hand to a big jewel in her hair and drew it back covered in blood.

Terra blinked bleary eyes, dazed. “That was-…”

“Not good!” Sabin rushed to Leonora’s side. “We need medics!”

The woman gasped breaths and her arms trembled. Stared at her hand in disbelief.

Sabin swallowed his shock and looked at the broken jewel. Blood seeped from a huge crack in the center.

Leonora sucked in a breath, held it, and blinked back tears. “… If we don’t fix it soon, I’ll….”

“MEDIC!” Sabin picked her up and took to his feet. “We need help here _now_!”

Terra finally snapped out of it, but he couldn’t summon any relief for her recovery. “Wait, maybe I can give the magic back?”

Leonora gave a pained groan and lolled her head. “Doesn’t… work like that.”

Blood stuck to Sabin’s arm and he bit back a curse. “We’ll do what we can. Just don’t talk.”

They barely had this lady here for ten minutes and they almost killed her.

What a day.


	2. Chapter 2

Fang stretched in the dark of the large room she slept in. With a yawn she stood, navigated around dozens of other beds, and pushed open the door to the outside, bracing her eyes for blinding light.

Luckily, she had apparently slept enough that no such light waited on the other side of the door.

Always a pleasant surprise, that. The sun passed beyond the horizon, its last light fading quickly from the World of Ruin. People around her turned off lights and hushed conversations in preparation for another night of desperate predators.

She skirted the edges of the various chunks of people in the town on her way out the edge. No one stopped her – they knew better than to try.

Except for a certain girl with a penchant for music. “Fang.”

“You joinin’ me tonight too?” Fang took a measure breath. “Wonderful.”

Deuce fell into step beside her as they exited town and waved to the previous patrol that made its way through the gates. “Sabin agreed to partner me with you for the foreseeable future.”

“And you’re sure that’s a good idea?” Fang eyed the flute that Deuce gripped with both hands. She claimed it was a weapon, but Fang had never seen it in action. She supposed that if Relm managed to weaponize paintings then Deuce could weaponize an instrument. Then again, Relm’s paintings lost their juice when the magic left their world. Maybe the girl just played it so terribly that the monsters found it easier to leave them alone than pursue.

Deuce side-eyed Fang before responding. “You may not believe me, but I’ve proven myself quite capable.”

Fang shrugged. “No hard feelings, but I’d rather have Sabin.”

The two of them took up a stride around the town, planning, of course, to circle it several times before the night was over. Fang tried another tactic. “You ever rip a heart out of a behemoth, kid?”

“I’ve had no reason to. I only recently learned that they’re medicinal here.”

“Yeah, about that…” Fang grimaced. “It’s common knowledge that you need specific veins for medicine.”

“Oh.”

After that, neither of them bothered with conversation and hours passed in silence. No moon showed tonight and Fang relied on her memorized path about the village to avoid getting lost.

About halfway through, Fang and Deuce stopped beside the gate and actually had replacements take their turn like they were supposed to.

The stiff knight Cyan stood with Locke and General Celes, clearly waiting to catch them.

“No, they’re going there tomorrow,” Locke was saying. He stopped when Fang and Deuce got close. “Hey there, you two. Go on and take a break.”

“Thine shift is over and ours now begins.” Cyan marched forward.

“Sounds good to me.” Fang rolled her head around her shoulders. “I’m gonna relieve the watchtowers. You guys have fun.”

Deuce shot her a shocked look.

“If you have enough energy for such a thing,” Celes said.

“The eyes up there could use some down time.” Locke smiled. “It’s been hours.”

“I don’t expect any trouble.” Fang slipped her spear across her shoulders. “Not like I’ll be performing strenuous exercise or anything.”

Locke and Celes waved goodbye as they followed Cyan out and started their patrol.

“Dark nights in empty Pulse?”

Fang froze and the world shifted. A campfire burst to life in a fit of color in front of her and she saw the varying shoulders of her five friends, her only friends…

She snapped out of it and leveled her best glare on Deuce, who only peered back with intent eyes.

Fang shook her head and turned away. “You shouldn’t have to join me on the tower, so don’t. I’m far happier by myself.”

“But it’s dangerous out there and-”

“Yeah, shove it up yours.”

Deuce cleared her throat. “I won’t say anything.”

“Because you did so well at _that_ tonight.”

“I-”

“Leave me alone, kid.”

Deuce scowled and let Fang climb the watchtower and inform the people that they could take it off for the rest of the evening.

After the old watch was gone, Fang walked to the wooden rails of the tower and rested her arms on the top. There was no light here, not when they were trying to avoid drawing attention. Each patrol would be equipped with flares meant to signal for help if needed. That was one of two things the tower watched for. Other than that, they kept an eye out for attacks on the city itself.

Though, on nights like this one, an attack on the city couldn’t be seen from the tower until too late.

What she _could_ see was Deuce waiting at the bottom of the tower like a lovesick sheep.

Fang rolled her eyes to herself and focused on that darkness. She could make out only the barest outline of woodland, but that would have to do for now.

Time passed. Fang paced about the tower to keep herself awake whilst keeping an eye on the invisible horizon. She grew restless and bored too soon and found herself looking back down at Deuce, who hadn’t budged an inch since Fang last looked.

“Oh, fine,” she hissed to herself. “You’re getting on my last nerve, girl!”

Deuce looked up. “Am I?”

“What have I been saying all this time?” Fang pinched the bridge of her nose. “If you want to come up, you can come up. But only for a bit! I’m going to kick you right back off!”

Deuce nodded and began her ascent up the ladder.

Fang shook her head to herself and looked out across the land again. The barest hint of light made its way into the sky and faint birdsong sounded in the distance.

Deuce made the last step on to the landing and glanced about them. Paused near the outermost edge.

“What’s up?” Fang asked, leaning against a pole.

“I see something big. Will Celes and the others deal with it?”

Fang walked over to the rail and squinted down. It was still so dark – did Deuce make it up?

Then she caught movement in the corner of her eye.

A roar sounded. Fang released a breath. That was a behemoth’s roar.

A flare rose and lit the area in a bluish hue. The trio that took their shift.

It would take too long to go back down the ladder. Fang twirled her spear and stepped up onto the rail of the tower.

“Wait!” Deuce cried.

Fang Jumped.

Air whistled through her ears and whipped her loose jacket about. Angled her spear and adjusted her feet.

Landed dead on her mark. The spear pierced straight through the back before she ripped it back out. The behemoth roared again and threw her off.

Fang rolled when she hit the ground. Ended in a crouch.

Light dazzled the area as Celes lit another flare and threw it at the monster. Locke stabbed a knife into its side that he didn’t manage to rip back out before it turned out of his reach. Cyan vanished and flayed the beast.

A haunting melody sounded in the vicinity.

Fang jumped again.

The wind carried her back up and she used the momentum to land on the back of the behemoth, only this time, she didn’t pull the spear out of its back after it dug its way into the shoulder blade of the monster. Instead, she pulled a knife out of her boot and stabbed that down into the thing’s skull.

Probably wasn’t long enough to penetrate the thing this behemoth had. All she seemed to do was make it angry.

It released a deep, bloodcurdling scream as it reared back, trying to throw her off. It shook in violent motions and she barely held on.

Fang retrieved her spear and bailed.

The thing kept shaking. It lifted a massive front paw and swiped at its ears. The music kept playing.

Celes rammed a sword into its eye. Cyan stabbed into a hind leg.

Locke dug a knife up into its jaw and screamed before getting thrown back, arm red and mangled.

The thing toppled and Fang’s breath caught in her throat – was that it?

The behemoth shot to its feet and slammed into her, throwing her backwards. She hit something hard and pain erupted in her skull.

The world blurred and lights blinked in and out of view. Fang couldn’t say whether they were real or not. Something warmed inside and her eyes hurt.

Then cleared.

The tune on the flute switched and a jarring noise echoed through the field. Fang pulled herself to her feet and took stumbling steps forward.

Stopped just before tripping over her separated spear. She picked it up with a growl.

The behemoth swiped at the others and raked the ground about it. Blades sang against claws.

Fang felt the wind push against her and slow to a gentle breeze.

Waited for the right moment before she threw the spear. It zipped through the air and embedded itself deep into the beast’s surviving eye.

With a gasping rattle, the behemoth collapsed to the ground.

The music stopped.

Fang sucked in a breath and limped forward. “This thing got any friends that we saw?”

Celes knelt beside Locke, examining his arm. “Behemoths eat their fellows if necessary.”

“Can’t blame ‘em – they taste good.” Locke gasped out with a strained grin.

“That is hardly our concern at the moment.” Cyan stood stiff and grimaced.

Deuce clutched her flute to her chest, eyes caught on Locke’s arm. He needed to get to the medics quick as possible.

“Here.” Celes took his good hand in hers. Helped him up.

“I can make it myself.” Locke spoke through gritted teeth.  

Fang coughed and it felt like something tore through her chest. Supposed she had to count her blessings that it wouldn’t be as long term as the other guy.

Deuce shifted and said nothing.

Locke clutched his arm, waving Celes off. He headed back to town without another word.

“You arrived with haste,” Cyan said. “How did you manage so?”

“I jumped and this fella broke my fall for me.” She gestured to the monster. “What, you think I can’t do my job as a dragoon?”

“I wouldn’t have thought you had the boots for that.” Celes tore her gaze off the point Locke had vanished and Fang refrained from correcting her.

Celes clasped her hands behind her back and turned toward the brightening hills. “We’ll be out here for another hour or so. Cyan, would you care to take the tower watch? Fang or Deuce, could one of you get reinforcements for this haul? I’ll continue the patrol on my own.”

Cyan gave a formal node and strode toward the tower.

“Deuce, you watch the meat.” Fang turned on her heel.

“Um-” Deuce touched her shoulder.

Fang shoved away from her. “Don’t.”

Deuce took the hint and didn’t follow. Fang limped against a wound in her leg and didn’t look back.

The town murmured with the first waking habitants for the day and Fang stopped the first able-bodied man she found. “Hey, there’s a dead behemoth out there. You willing to help cart it inside?”

“Sure.” He rubbed at a wrinkled scar on his arm. “Where?”

“Just outside. Can’t miss it.” She moved on and collected another handful before calling it good.

By the time she finished, the sun peeked over the hills and she passed faces she knew and some she didn’t. One man wore a thick, green coat and that sparked a memory of hers. A pilot that took her to strange places.

She kept walking. What was his name? He looked just like he did back… back when?

With a groan, she worked up the motivation to stop him. Took the first steps toward him and drew up short.

The world warped around her. The quiet din muted. Chirping and distant roars filled the air, a sweet lullaby from her childhood. The man in green appeared wrapped in conversation with a girl in pink pigtails. She giggled at something and in her open palms sat a tiny chocobo chick.

Her heart twisted.

“Fang?” Sazh turned to look at her, surprise on his face.

The vision vanished, leaving Sazh in its wake. He gave her a hesitant, gaunt smile, though it didn’t touch his eyes. “ _Fang!_ Didn’t expect to see you here! How’re you doing? You with us?”

Fang shook the last dark spots out of her vision. A dull throb in her head and she groaned. “Geez, I’d kill for some gysahl wine right about now.”

He paused. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I just… not remembering too quick, you know?” She dropped her hand and opened her eyes, blinking spots out of her vision with a grimace. “Ugh, did it hurt for you, too?”

He held a hand out towards her. “You’re still working on it? Thought you’d get there faster than any of us.”

“I wish.” The pain dulled and Fang straightened to look Sazh in the eyes. “You know where Vanille is?”

“Wish I did.” Sazh rested his hands on his hips. “But Snow does and he… well. It’s Snow.”

Overconfident and driven to a fault. Nothing fazed the man, she wanted to say. “Why aren’t they here, then? Is there another place we could all take a trip to?”

“No, we’re talking different planets. Lots of space between us, you know?”

“Then what are you doing here, old man? Not exactly a prime vacation spot.”

Sazh chewed on his lip and look away. “Looking for Dajh again. He didn’t want to stick around on our old world and now I have to play tag like old times.”

Dajh. That wasn’t the blond monstrosity, or the icy pink woman, or the silver kid…

Kid, right, Sazh had a kid.

“Ain’t that just a bitch.” She shrugged. “Ever considered that you might be cursed?”

“I have, but…it’s not relevant right now.”

Fang slapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll find him. Though, I’ll say that I hope he’s not here. You people are sucking up valuable resources.”

“And you’re doing what you can to help? Heard about that attack this morning.”

“Yeah, it’s dead now. Behemoths are a pain to kill but it’s gonna do a little more for the food reserves.”

“Taking notes from Vanille, then.” What little smile he had disappeared. “Helping out where you can.”

Vivid memories struck her, of the pigtailed girl placing herself in constant danger for a ridiculous number of reasons. “Yeah. Just doing my duty here. I’m gonna go take a nap for now – wake me later, alright?”

“Right.” Sazh looked about them. “I had a few more people I was going to talk to.”

“You do that.” She hissed under her breath and walked away. Time to return to sleep and process way too much for one day. It was a long night ahead of her.

* * *

Sabin wiped sweat from his forehead as he stood and admired what little work he put into the fields. Strago was right about the dragongrass. The ingredient was one of the main ones for potions and they were going to run out sooner rather than later.

He’d been reminded once or twice that this was not supposed to be his job. Of course, no one was dumb enough to try to stop him.

The main issue was that a lot of the soil was dead or dying and they didn’t have what they needed to re-fertilize it all. Not enough, at least. Not for all the people they had. Not to mention that most of the time the soil didn’t take to the fertilizer they gave it.

The midmorning sun burned his skin, but at least that was a rare problem with all the clouds that blocked it most days. Their sun paste should last a while longer.

Sabin picked up a basket of dead grass and strolled back to town. Some scientists would break down the dead and add the remains to whatever new fertilizer they were trying now.

None of it would be good enough. Sabin stopped in his tracks at the thought. Their race was dying and all they did was prolong the inevitable. Their world would live on without them.

He grit his teeth and moved on. They didn’t have to accept it. They had to find a way _out_ of it.

On his way to the hall he passed the recovery tent. Paused just outside and hoped that Leonora made good progress in her recovery.

Wasn’t like there was much else he could do there.

He pushed open the door to the hall and dropped the basket on a small wooden table near the entrance before walking through the crowded main room again.

Edgar was where he always was, sitting at that accursed desk, curtains closed over the windows to block the bright, early light. Sabin strode straight up to him.

Edgar looked up with bleary eyes. “I don’t see what-”

Sabin took his brother’s arm and the voices behind them silenced. “You’re going outside, brother.”

Sabin ignored Edgar’s protests as he promptly dragged the man outside. Various mages, scientists, and leaders watched with gaping mouths as he did so. He wasn’t the only one who tried to get Edgar outside, but he was the first do what was needed.

When they stepped outside, Edgar squinted against the sun and fought going any further. Sabin rolled his eyes and tugged at his arm. “You’re right, you know.” Sabin kept his voice down, not wanting to alarm the villagers. “We’re not going to last much longer.”

Edgar finally pulled his arm free of Sabin’s grip a few feet out of the hall and looked around, eyes still squinting. “What does that have to do with you dragging me outside?”

“Nothing. I just don’t want to talk to you in a cave again.” Sabin kept walking and felt a smug satisfaction when Edgar trailed behind.

“We’ve discussed our options.” Edgar sighed. “They aren’t exactly plentiful.”

“Then we need to take the unfeasible seriously.” Sabin stopped by the airship, which didn’t sit far from the hall. “We need to _fix_ it. We need to bring magic back, or we need to leave this world behind, or something. This is me being honest, Edgar. I know that we’re not getting any better, just like you do.”

“You want to commit to the impossible?” Edgar groaned. “Look, Sabin, you do what you want, but I’m more worried about what I _can_ do. I know that I can extend our-”

“That’s not good enough!” Sabin rounded on Edgar. “We need to _survive_! I’m sick of all this talk of runways and stalling! You’re smarter than me, so you should think of something that _fixes_ the problem instead of covering it up!”

Edgar let out a slow breath. “Strago knows better than I do. He’s quicker to seek alternatives.” Edgar looked at Sabin, brow knit together. “Most of my advisors look at rational possibilities instead of throwing caution to the wind and wasting precious time and manpower on spontaneous heroism.”

“What about Terra? Maybe we can find the Esper World, maybe there’s a way back in.” Maybe they could save _her_.

“Even _if_ the Esper World still exists somewhere, I think we’ve done enough to them.”

“You mean _Kefka_ did enough! They’re _Terra’s_ people, they should help _her_ at least!”

Edgar heaved a sigh and placed a hand on Sabin’s shoulder. “It’s not that simple, but I’m glad you care.”

“Glad I-” Sabin pushed Edgar away. “How can you be so dismissive? These are our people! The last of humanity! Don’t just-!” Sabin threw up his hands. “You know what? Never mind! I shouldn’t have expected you to listen, anyway!”

Edgar didn’t say anything and Sabin grit his teeth.

Sabin turned away. “I’ll go do it on my own if I have to.”

“You push yourself too hard,” Edgar whispered behind him.

Started walking away and Edgar didn’t follow.

Sabin kept going.

Stopped by the ships and looked up at the impressive feat of engineering and closed his eyes. “We need help,” he whispered, shaking. “If anyone is listening, please send us something. Or show us a way.”

A gentle breeze drifted past, warming his bare arms. He opened his eyes.

That was about all he could ask for.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun dropped low when Fang slammed open the door to outside with conflicting anticipation and dread. People around her made way as she strolled through the streets and towards the south bridge, where she talked to Sazh that morning.

Now, she could think clearly. Now she could do this the right way. Now… where did Sazh go?

She got to the bridge, but Sazh was nowhere in sight. Fang stretched her jaw and took a moment to look around.

“Hey, Locke!” she shouted.

He didn’t look up at his name from his place across the bridge. The crowd was too noisy.

Fang set her jaw and shoved her way through people to get to Locke. “Hey!”

Locke finally stopped and looked up at her. “Need something?”

“Yeah.” Fang stuck her hand in the air. “Looking for a man, newcomer, named Sazh. About this tall. You know him?”

“Oh, uh, Celes was instructing a bunch of newcomers.” Locke gestured out towards the field past the south bridge, wincing at the unintended motion of his damaged arm. “Might be with them.”

She found herself impressed that he was already out of the hospital.

“Thanks.” Fang raised a hand in appreciation before she strode away.

She didn’t want to waste a lot of time hunting him down, but it wasn’t like she was doing anything else. After the previous evening they wouldn’t make her work again for a bit.

Fang crossed the bridge and blinked the last of the sleep from her eyes. She headed down to the fields. Found Celes leading a crew of stragglers back to town for the evening. They’d probably be out there first thing in the morning to revitalize the soil.

“Celes, you know where Sazh went?” Fang asked.

Celes gestured out behind her without breaking stride. “Back in the fields.”

Fang broke into a run that way. It felt good to jog like this – she couldn’t remember the last time she dashed through open plains. Made it through the thin paths between the dying fields before she found him.

Skidded to a halt and kicked up dust. Sazh stood out near one of the warehouses. A small one, little more than a wooden shack, and the man talked to some girl with blonde hair tied up at the sides.

“Hey, Sazh!” Fang strolled over and raised a hand in the air. “It’s about time we have that talk!”

Sazh looked her way at his name and stuck a hand in the air. “Coulda had it sooner if you hadn’t crashed!”

The girl glanced between the two of them with a curious look as Fang slowed down and stopped by Sazh.

“Are you like us?” she asked of Fang.

Sazh nodded. “Give us a moment?”

“Sure.” The girl flashed a warm smile to Fang before walking away towards town.

Fang folded her arms and looked Sazh dead-on. “I had a long day, old man. Don’t give me crap for sleeping.”

Sazh whistled. “You sound just fine to me.”

“Got me there.” Fang blinked – now that he mentioned it, she _did_ heal awful quick after the morning incident. “You have any lunch on you? I haven’t eaten since I got all ripped up this morning.”

“Yeah, but…” Sazh pulled out a pouch of his. “It might not be well suited to someone not natively from the Floating Continent.”

“You came from the _what_?”

Sazh waved a dismissive hand. “Just something my world had. Floating, big island. Is that so hard to believe after Cocoon?”

“No, it’s-…” Fang groaned. “Forget it. Just give me the grub.”

Sazh held out a fruit-looking thing and Fang chomped down on it. The initial taste was sweet, but it gave way to a bitterness that stung her tongue. Then sweet again. The texture was an odd mix of soft and rough.

She forced herself to chew. “That’s awful, Sazh. How do you eat that stuff?”

“With practice.” He plopped one into his mouth. “But I’m running out.”

Fang swallowed. “Speaking of – got any ideas as to how we could save this world? You know, as a newcomer and all that.”

“I wish I did.” His eyes took on a far-off gaze. “Soil isn’t easy to revive. Manure can fertilize, but you want it from beasts - using people’s dung is just gonna get you all sick. Store compost provided by bones or any other waste you can produce. Carcasses, fruit shells, all that.”

Fang let her arms fall. “You a farmer, now?”

“Not quite.” Sazh gestured. “But I know how to keep a garden.”

“Sounds like you.” Fang gestured. “Let’s get that load of yours back to town and get it stored before it goes bad.”

Sazh jumped and snatched up his forgotten bale. The two of them started on the way back and Fang remembered the stitch in her side but found that moving again brought no pain.

“I was gonna leave here again pretty soon.” Sazh didn’t look her way. “Wanna come with?”

“You bet.” Fang looked around them. “Maybe we’ll find something for these sorry blokes, eh?”

“Shouldn’t be impossible to get them all moved off-world. I can talk to my connections and see what we can work out.”

“Sure.” Fang only hoped they would survive until then.

They reached the center of civilization and Fang prepared to send Sazh off, only for a girl with flowing, silver-blue hair to stop right in their path. She looked like a chocobo that just caught its first sight of an adamantoise.

“Something you need?” Fang asked, fingers twitching towards her spear. “We kind of have a schedule to keep, you know.”

“Oerba Yun Fang.” The girl looked at Sazh. “And Dajh’s father.”

Sazh quirked an eyebrow. “Where do we know you from?”

The girl glanced between them and Fang found something about her level voice familiar. “I am Paddra Nsu Yeul and from Gran Pulse, like you.”

“Well, ain’t this just a party.” Sazh shifted his grip on the load. “Weren’t you Noel’s friend?”

“And the mythic seer.” Fang swore under her breath. “If I didn’t just fall into a children’s story.”

“Not just a story,” Yeul said. “We met before the separation, but perhaps your memories are still mending.”

“What’s the seeress?” Sazh asked.

Fang shook her head and Yeul gave Sazh an appraising look before saying, “The Seeress was blessed with the eyes of Etro. She lived time and again, watching the possible futures and the true one manifest. She died within the first seventeen years of her life and was reborn each time. I am the last incarnation.”

“Forget I asked.”

Fang whistled and moved around Yeul. “You know, I’m guessing all I have to do to find Vanille is sit and wait for her. Shouldn’t take more than a week, at this rate.”

Sazh rolled his eyes and Yeul’s face scrunched up in concentration. After a moment, she said, “I suppose the gates could all lead back here, but I didn’t travel the Historia Crux alone and it seems odd for everyone to be drawn here instead of Valhalla.”

“What is it with time travel these days?” Sazh muttered to himself.

“YO!”

Fang looked up to see a blond guy barreling towards them. Though he wore a uniform like Deuce had the first time that Fang had seen her, there was nothing about him that sparked familiarity.

Yeul jumped at the sight and took a step out of the way.

The guy skid to a halt beside Yeul with a growl. Several refugees looked their way with wide eyes. Fang waved them off. She could handle this.

“You got any idea how close we are to being the last idiots back?” he bellowed. “I’m gonna lose to freaking _Deuce_ at this rate.”

“Nine!”

Deuce came from the same place that the man had. She stopped beside him and glanced around at the troop. “I… Sazh, when did you get here?”

Sazh gave her a blank stare. “Oh, I get it. The two of you are Ace’s friends.”

“Ace?” Fang asked. “What, these bleeding flies followed _all of us_?”

“That isn’t my concern.” Yeul leveled a cool look Nine’s way. “I can take care of myself.”

Nine spun on his heel to face away from them. “C’mon, Queen, we got Ace’s leftovers and the other two, can we go back _now_?”

“ _Nine_!” Deuce hissed. “Watch it!”

Nine shook his head. “Why do I gotta – fine. Ace’ll be sorry for losing you.”

Deuce gasped. “No, that’s not what I meant!”

“I guess I didn’t get the worst of this lot.” Sazh rubbed the back of his head. “Didn’t think that was possible…”

“Someone want to tell me what’s going on?” Fang asked. “Kinda still here, you know.”

Deuce took a deep breath, visibly steeling herself. “I came here to guide you to Valhalla, where the friends you have forgotten now wait. You see-”

“Vanille’s there?” Fang asked.

Deuce choked. “Uh, yes. Yes, she is. As are Snow, Lightning, and Serah.”

Man, those guys finally got together. Maybe it would even last. “Great. I’d love to head out that way, but I’ve got things to do first.”

Deuce twitched. “Even with your memories, you won’t come?”

Fang shrugged. “Like I said, things to do.”

“This world is one of many!” Deuce stepped in front of Fang, arms thrown at to the side. “There is only so much you can do for this one, but the many need you! How can you be see so short-sighted?”

Short-sighted?

“Beginning to think you have the wrong person.” Fang tilted her head to the side, stifling anger. “You want someone with their eyes on the universe, then you’ll have to go find them. I don’t like watching people suffer.”

“That’s changed, then,” Sazh said.

Fang ignored that.

Deuce dropped her arms. Didn’t back away. “We don’t get to choose. We follow our orders!”

“I’m not arguing this right now. You want me, you’re going to have to be patient.”

“But-” Deuce started.

“You guys know where my son is?” Sazh asked.

Deuce looked up at him. Took a breath. Regained the composure she had lost. “…No.”

Sazh gave a resigned sigh.

“How about you stay with these two.” Nine, Fang supposed his “name” was, pointed to Yeul, then Fang and Sazh. “And I’ll go take a nap in Valhalla. Sound good?”

“That is acceptable.” Yeul stepped closer to Sazh.

“Oh, come ON!” Nine squinted his eyes shut. “Deuce can just bring ‘em all back!”

Fang gave up and got moving toward the dining hall. The other four just kind of followed her, with Nine continuing to shout and Deuce fighting back a little. “Mind keeping it down? Headed indoors, you know.”

Finally, some quiet, though Nine growled under his breath. Fang caught a whiff of cooked meat floating their way. That had to be the behemoth, going by the mouth-watering smell.

“I spoke with Leonora.” Yeul looked at Deuce. “It appears the gate didn’t vanish on our exit.”

Deuce gave a long sigh. “Disturbing though it may be, that comes as no surprise. We ‘ve lost communication with one of our own and other gates released twisted creatures through time. It appears the paths taken by some travelers have corrupted those points created by Etro’s own power and glitched them out.”

“Great,” Nine hissed.

Deuce gave him an odd look. “You knew that already.”

“Am I supposed to like it now or something?”

“No, it’s just… never mind.”

“What about you, Sazh?” Fang asked. “You saw the same thing?”

“No, it’s-…” He shook his head. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Gotcha.”

“There’s more?” asked Yeul. “That would explain much.”

Nine growled, “Oh, yeah. It’s a party. Damned kids going about and having fun for the sake of it.”

Sazh cleared his throat and paused before the entrance to the dining hall. “I’m gonna go check on the… fields. You go on without me.”

Nine harrumphed. “But we don’t even eat. What are we going inside for, then?”

“I’m hungry,” said Yeul before striding right in.

Fang followed right behind her. “So say we all, right?”

“Ugh.” Nine slumped his shoulders when Deuce continued in. “But let’s keep it short, alright? I hate the smell of peasant food.”

“Oh.” Deuce turned to Fang. “I almost forgot. We picked up a little something for you.”

She dropped a glimmering, orange crystal into Fang’s hand that looked a lot like some creature’s tooth. “What’s this?”

“It’ll come to you.” Deuce looked her dead in the eye, expression determined. “Call it a peace offering for now.”

Right, but… “Thing feels broken.”

“We’re still working on getting them to react on command – give it time.”

Fang up and left the hall, pulled a dagger from her waist, and held it to her own throat. “This world doesn’t have time!”

“Whoa!” Sazh stopped short despite being yards away and yelled, “What are you doing?”

“If I remember right,” Fang pressed the blade to her skin, “then these friends of ours react to stress. It’s their job to bring us back from the brink, right?”

Deuce swallowed hard. “Yes, but…”

“Hey, Bahamut!” Fang held the crystal before her. “Get your butt on over here, alright? I’m about to kill myself because I’m so hopeless!”

Nothing for a moment. Fang pressed the dagger into her neck and it stung.

Then a great whooshing of air and storm clouds gathered. Exclamations of surprise and villagers paused to watch as magic coalesced.

Bahamut swept in like a tornado, the force of his arrival bringing trees to their knees whilst somehow leaving the village untouched. The thought came to her that she “taunted the servants of gods.”

“But ain’t that just the way we roll.” Fang shoved her knife away again and pocketed the eidolith. “Not like I can sit around and wait for you all.”

Sazh had only gotten a handful of feet away and wasted no time in returning.

Passers-by stopped and stared, some screamed and ran for the town hall. Bahamut, who landed in the town center and barely fit between tents and shacks, dipped his head. The state of the world was sorry, indeed, but that was no news to anyone here.

“And I’m not leaving until it’s fixed.” Fang put her hands on her hips. “You want me to join these guys? Save the World of Ruin first, then we’ll talk.”

It wasn’t that simple. In order to bring magic to this gathering of humanity, they needed at least two of the Eidolons, and Bahamut needed time to seek out Brynhildr.

Sazh perked up. “My girl! She’ll come, too?”

Quiet from Bahamut – a moment of hesitation. That was the hope, but in order to save the world as a whole, they needed all the Eidolons from the l’Cie’s time and it would take a lot of searching to get to that point. Bhunivelze disrupted their connection some time before He took Hope.

“So, we need to stall.” Fang looked toward the town hall. “From what I can tell, we’ve done plenty of that already. How many days do you need?”

Unknown, but it shouldn’t be much longer now. As it is, he would take his leave and return in due haste to grant them life.

And then Bahamut leapt back into the air and wind gusted about the streets. Sabin and Edgar approached them and Deuce explained to them the gist of what happened.

Fang looked to the sky.

She could buy a little more time.

* * *

 “Celes, you have the schedule for the next two weeks?” Edgar asked.

Sabin watched Celes hand a water-damaged paper to Edgar, who took it with trembling hands. They sat in the dingy council room, they being his brother, Celes, Terra, Locke, and Setzer.

It was rare that these schedules lasted the two weeks before something changed, before someone turned up sick or injured or worse. But it kept them on the same page and coordination mattered these days.

“The attack this past evening wasn’t ideal.” Celes folded her arms while Edgar examined the paper. “The meat will go far, but we lost use of one of our primary hunters. Even then, our new trainees entering rotation next week may be excessive.”

“Less room,” Locke mused. “Because of the dwindling numbers in the monster population.”

“Less monsters,” Setzer said, “which means less food.”

Terra pursed her lips to reveal cheeks so hollow that it reminded Sabin more acutely of his own fatigue.

“How’s the livestock doing?” Locke asked after a moment. “Maybe I should transfer out there.”

“There isn’t much of a need.” Celes ran a hand through her hair. “The disease of the fields is spreading through the sheep and we’ve separated them out, which means clearing more deadlands and moving the healthy.”

Locke dropped his gaze to the floor.

Setzer absently rolled two dice between his fingers. “Last I heard, Strago didn’t expect the flocks to last more than another year or so.”

And last Sabin heard, that was an optimistic projection.

“So,” Edgar leaned back, “we ration out what remains. Stretch it out and preserve runway time or we risk falling into problematic territory.”

“Aren’t we already there?” Locke asked, maneuvering his bandaged arm to his side. “You know, with the dead world and us talking about this in the first place?”

“We don’t need wit right now,” Sabin said. “We need ideas.”

Celes leaned toward them. Was it Sabin’s imagination, or was she avoiding looking towards Locke? “Rainwater. If we distill what we collect, we can water down our meals and stretch out people’s stamina with manageable aggravation of fatigue.”

“Spread crops further.” Setzer kept rolling that dice. “Or we can just keep our rainwater for the crops. Let’s not overcomplicate things.”

“It’s not overcomplicating,” Celes hissed. “The crops don’t need as much as we give them.”

Locke said, “The crops are already dying – why would we take away what chance they have?”

Celes looked toward Edgar, who Sabin could swear was paler than usual. “Because water isn’t the issue – it’s the soil quality. We’re wasting water on dead ground.”

“… Oh.”

Celes relaxed a little. “Hydration will improve spirits and strengthen workers. In the time that we have, let’s make it count.”

“I agree,” Sabin said. “Not a lot of point to prolonging our lives if we’re too weak to make anything of it.”

“Do we mean to condemn the weak?” Edgar asked. “What of those in the recovery tents?”

The door burst open.

Sabin jumped to his feet, fists at the ready, then paused when he saw the face of the intruder. What was _Fang_ doing here?

“This is a private meeting.” Celes’s tone turned hard. “And shouldn’t you be resting?”

“If he doesn’t have to, I don’t either.” Fang strode forward with a pointed glance at Locke. Sabin raised an eyebrow. She didn’t act hurt at all. “I’ve got some stuff you should know about.”

“We’re listening.” Setzer never once broke rhythm with his dice.

Fang gestured outside. “We’ve got some outsiders and _they’ve_ got some information we could use.”

“And that’s… news?” Locke winced. “We harbor the last remaining members of our race – most of us didn’t originate here and our knowledge spreads what’s left of the planet.”

Fang rolled her eyes. “This is a little bigger than that.”

“Please,” Edgar said, “enlighten us.” His voice shook.

Edgar was getting sick.

She pulled up a spare seat and flipped it backward before sitting down and resting her hands across the backrest. “You’ve got some travelers in your home that come from other worlds. Now, there’s a few ways you could approach this-”

“If this is a prank,” said Edgar, “then I would prefer you cease now and spare us the brain power.”

Locke carefully shifted. “I don’t know. I could use some levity right now.”

“I don’t do pranks,” Fang said, “at least… I haven’t done lately. But that’s beside the point because you have an ideal situation here. The broken girl in the tent had magic from somewhere and there should be more where she came from. Deuce, she’s on her way to somewhere _inundated with the stuff_. Now, I don’t know that you all can go _there_ , but no one’s told you all that you have _options_.”

Celes blinked. “… I don’t understand. Does anyone else?”

“Are you saying,” said Edgar between deep breaths, “that we should… leave?”

Sabin asked, “How would we go about that?”

Fang shrugged. “Ask Deuce. The details aren’t my problem. But you don’t have to sit here wringing your hands over this anymore if you want to hop over somewhere else for a bit. You know, save people’s lives.”

Sabin groaned and leaned back in his seat. “Like that’s not what we’re trying to do right now?”

“No, I trust you all to try your best.” Fang stuck her chin on her arms. “But this is kind of a sticky situation you’ve got here, isn’t it? We’ve been at it for a year now and it doesn’t look like it’s gonna get much better. Not any time soon without a heaping dose of injected magic, at least.”

Sabin clenched his fists. She had a point, but…

Edgar fell into a coughing fit.

“Edgar?” Celes moved while Sabin felt frozen to the spot. Edgar threw his hands over the table and gagged.

Sabin managed a step forward.

Edgar retched blood.

All over the table.

Managed a deep breath, then did it again.

“Fang, get a medic!”

“Two steps ahead of you!”

He didn’t see her leave. Couldn’t take his eyes off that deep, deep red.

Edgar groaned, head lolling, and Celes held him away from the bloodied table. Setzer made his way over and slid Edgar’s chair away from the mess.

Edgar looked around with dazed eyes. “Any other ideas?”

Looking at the sight, Sabin found that all he wanted was to get away.

“Nothing else from you.” Sabin slowly sat down. “The rest of us, we can look into leaving.”


	4. Chapter 4

They were quick to reassign Fang after that. Found some old ruins up north where the coliseum sat dormant and Deuce demanded that her friend Nine tagged along. The giant child of a man spent the entire time walking toward the ruins complaining about how much he wanted to get back to Valhalla and Fang readied herself for a good head on the pike by the time they finished.

“Keep an eye out,” she said. “Our target should be somewhere around  here.”

“That girl wasn’t doing great,” Nine mumbled.

Fang raised an eyebrow. “Leonora, you mean?”

Nine said nothing and Fang looked back to see him avoid her gaze. She looked away again. “She had an encounter with Terra, or something. As it turns out, the sick should be our greatest fear.”

“Wait, what?”

“Nothing.”

Fang caught sight of that girl with the braids from the other day, the one that talked to Sazh.

“Oh, crap.” Fang shoved at Nine. “Back, back, back-”

“Hello!” The girl bounced their way. “Sorry I didn’t introduce myself! It’s Penelo.”

Fang managed her longest sigh and said, “Right.”

“You know each other?” Nine asked.

“Only kind of.” Fang jabbed a finger Penelo’s way. “I saw her once and _she_ thinks we’re now best friends.”

“Maybe not best friends.” She clasped her hands behind her back as she walked, arms bouncing as she moved. “But It’s nice to know there are so many of us with all this stuff going on.”

Nine scoffed. “Like any of you make a difference.”

“We can, too!” Penelo shoved at him. “What’s with that attitude?”

“Mortals can’t do much against the _creator of gods_ , yo.”

Fang shook her head. “Don’t bother with him. Even he’s screwed up.”

“Hey!” Nine looked at her with genuine betrayal in his face. “ _Seven and Ace_ screwed up! I’m doing just fine!”

“Your charge is wandering about Kohlingen as we speak.”

“What does that matter?”

“It doesn’t.” Fang jabbed a finger at Penelo. “What are you doing here, anyway? Seeing the sights or something?”

“Kind of.” Penelo looked around them. “I’ve heard this place has a strange atmosphere and I wanted to see why.”

“Wonderful.” Fang trudged forward and the others followed. “And here I hoped we’d split ways.”

Penelo struck up conversation with Nine and Fang tuned them out. Felt at Deuce’s crystal in her pouch and wondered at the familiarity of it. Reminded her of cold nights on the plains and the comforting breeze that whispered in her ears. Missed Bahamut’s presence.

“Oh, there’s the entrance!” Penelo gestured toward the decrepit hole into a cave. Stones and rocks laid embedded in the ground and moss overgrew them. Ruins jutted out from the ground, their frames jagged and broken. Stone cut the air as high as the trees in some places. From the lack of growth, this had to be recent.

Fang suppressed a groan and unclipped the spear from her back.

Penelo lit a lantern and slipped through the crevice first. Lit the inside and Fang still couldn’t really see anything, not with how thin the crevice was and the distance she had from it. Whatever, everyone had to die some time.

Fang went through next with Nine behind her. Inside, Penelo raised her lantern and Fang exhaled.

The entrance opened up to reveal a cavernous space full of buildings hung upside-down from above and books, toys, clothes, and bones all lay scattered across roofs, stairs, and sideways doors. Fang wrinkled her nose against the scent of rot and death.

“What happened to this place?” Penelo asked.

Fang worked her jaw. “Kefka.”

Nine bounced up the nearest set of stairs into a building, one that kinda stood mostly straight. Something about his motion seemed… off. Just a little too fast. “Let’s make this quick!”

“Careful, there,” Fang shouted, as he pushed his way into the building. They got all too used to graverobbing this past year.

“We should stick together.” Penelo followed Nine, and Fang picked up her pace to keep up – didn’t want to lose that light of Penelo’s if they were going to enter one of those rotting buildings. Walking up slanted stairs wasn’t the most comfortable thing she had done. Especially not with the loud, groaning creaks each step caused.

Penelo didn’t seem bothered by it all.

Fang took a deep breath before entering the building herself, Penelo holding the door open for her.

Nine was rifling through shelves at the bottom of the whole crooked floor and threw old, ratty pieces of cloth to the ground.

Penelo glanced about them and thankfully wasn’t stupid enough to try setting that lantern on the broken and uneven surfaces.

It was nice to have to work to keep up with someone else for a change.

Fang got to work in the next room over, though the dividing wall was in tatters. “You never said why you’re out here,” Fang called to Penelo.

“It’s… kind of a long story.”

“One that Sazh knows?”

“Parts of it.” Penelo heaved a sigh. “We… Things got dicey on our world and my partner found the first chance he could to get out. We’ve been moving ever since.”

“Not the first to bail on your home planet, I assume.”

“We didn’t leave it to die.” Penelo’s voice turned hard. “We left to save everyone else.”

“And how many people tell themselves that?”

No response. Fang rapped the floor below her. It thudded – sounded like the level below this one filled with dirt during the catastrophe.

She searched the whole room, but nothing useful turned up. Only rat skeletons and dirt dust. There were some stairs that led upwards to another floor, but the ceiling was full of holes and those steps were missing… quite a few panels.

Fang went back into the main room, where Nine had given up on the shelves and ransacked a few other pieces of old and rotting furniture.

Penelo shook her head and Fang took that to mean it was time to move on.

Outside the building, Fang took a moment to orient herself. The buildings on the wall and those hanging from above wouldn’t be accessible and even if they were, nothing useful would have survived being turned over like that.

There were only two other buildings that sat upright and looked reasonably safe.

Fang strolled up to the next one with gritted teeth. This one was smaller, closer to a shack, and when she pushed the door open, her lungs filled with dust and she doubled over in a coughing fit.

Penelo and Nine hung back until she recovered her breath. Once Fang gulped down sufficient air to breathe normally again, she gestured and they got to searching again.

It was a single room. Fang would have guessed it was some sort of storage building behind a house once, but there was a broken bedframe in the corner and a pile of cloth scraps that resembled clothing.

Fang turned around and walked right back out of the structure and straight into the next one.

“How much longer is this gonna last?” Nine asked.

“You have something better to do?” Fang called back.

Nine didn’t respond. He might complain, but at least he didn’t drag his feet.

The final reachable house had a single floor and a few rooms.

Fang stepped onto creaking wood and took in the sight. Most of the furniture stood strong without as much sign of decay. Fang got to work on those closest to the door.

Nine started rifling through some drawers and Penelo stood in the center of the first room, still holding her lantern.

“Where’s your partner?” Fang asked, tossing aside an empty jewelry box. “You said you left your world with your partner – is he dead?”

“Thank the gods, no.” Penelo squirmed. “We split up for a bit to check out a couple different places. His idea. He’s… not the most responsible.”

“You got plans to meet up again?”

“Yeah, I managed to get him to focus long enough to figure all that out.” She crouched to the ground and crossed her arms over her legs. “I hated leaving him to get into trouble.”

Fang found a bottle with some fluid hidden in the corner of a shelf. “Hm.”

“You know, it’s scary, wandering around unfamiliar worlds and not knowing when something might show up. When some monster might come and take your will away.”

“What did you see?” Fang asked, uncorking the bottle. She took a whiff of the contents. Definitely a potion.

Penelo drew a shuddering breath. “I didn’t see it. A friend of mine had his body snatched and used to get at others.” Her face twisted. “They’re both okay, last I checked, but it was… it left a mark.”

Nine shoved a dresser over. It crashed and rattled the whole frame of the house. Fang rolled her eyes and pocketed the potion. Nine glared at Penelo and said through grit teeth, “That was Ivalice.”

Penelo gave him an alarmed look. “You know Ivalice?”

“Seven didn’t take it well.” He kicked at the remains of the dresser. “There must’ve been something else they could’ve done, yo!”

“Take it down a notch, would you?” Fang stepped past him to start looking through the next room. Penelo jumped up to follow with the light.

Oh, nice. A crate. Fang strolled over and kicked the lid off. Inside sat rows of bottles that rested comfortably in packaging cloth and neat rows.

“This should be worth something.” Fang pulled a bottle out and sniffed the contents. More potions. She put the bottle back and replaced the lid. “Sabin’s gonna like this.”

Nine grumbled and came out from another room, carrying a smaller box on his shoulder. “There’s a box of jerky and junk in this, yo.”

Fang nodded and hefted the crate of potions into the air, hands on the bottom. It should survive the trip back. “Let’s get going.”

“You know,” Penelo said, “I knew a guy that could make potions from the cheapest resources. If I could get my hands on some mossfeather, then I could maybe replicate them.”

“I don’t know any mossfeather,” Fang said. “And if I did, I’m sure it wouldn’t grow on this world.”

“… Oh. Right.”

“Yo, this _sucks_.” Nine swung a lance onto his back as they exited the cavern. “I’m only doing chores for you guys! And this planet is doomed! Why are we even trying when we could just-!”

He hissed in pain and stopped.

Fang didn’t slow down. Penelo did.

“S’nothing,” Nine muttered before they caught up again. “Just Queen being a bitch.” He flinched again.

“Ace didn’t seem to think of her that way.” Penelo rested a hand on Nine’s shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll make sense eventually.”

Nine stiffened. “What do you know about Ace?”

“I met him on another world. He told me a little about what you guys do and I think it’s really cool. Who knows? Maybe we’ll work together some day.”

“I don’t like this, yo.” Nine pulled away from her. “We’re supposed to get our people and _leave_.”

“Maybe.” Penelo swung her arms. “Or you could leave an impression. Couldn’t hurt to be a _little_ flashy, right?”

Fang snorted. “Or a lot.”

“See? Even Fang agrees with that.”

“Yeah, but she’s super weird. I don’t like her.”

“Right here, you big buffoon.”

“That’s kinda the point, yo.”

And that matched the tone they kept for the rest of the trip back, which didn’t feel as long as the journey out. Eventually Penelo met up with some guy that looked almost identical to her and insisted on finding pretty rocks or something to appease a friend. Those two split off to do their own thing and Fang appreciated the newfound quiet.

* * *

The midmorning sun was comfortably warm when Sabin patrolled up north with Gau and Relm. Daytime patrols were quieter than night ones, so it was the only time Relm convinced Strago to let her go.

“I don’t like these colors,” Relm announced, as she did at least once a day. “There’s no life. I have good paper, but nothing worth drawing.” She kicked at the brown grass. It crunched under foot.

“Green come back.” Gau crouched down and ran a hand over the grass. “Will take time.”

“Gau, it’s a lot more complicated than that.” Relm huffed. “It’s not going to come back like it’s some seasonal change.”

Gau gave her a short look. “Season change.”

“Okay, Sabin, do you know if its gonna get better now that we have a comatose healer?” Relm bounced up beside him, clutching the air like she hadn’t left her sketchbook at home.

Sabin put his hands on his hip and tried to look as reassuring as possible. “That’ll be the first step, Relm.”

Gau ran on ahead without another word. Sabin bit back a yell and reminded himself that this kid already survived his whole life in the wild.

“It’s not good enough.” Relm sighed and dropped her hands. A moment passed and she stopped walking to kneel in the grass. “This sucks. There’s gotta be something we can do.”

“Sure, there is.” Sabin didn’t want to get her hopes up, but if no one believed they _could_ do it, then they may as well dig their own graves. “We just need to keep trying.”

Relm regarded him with a flat look, then rolled her eyes and stretched back up to her feet. “That’s worthless.”

Sabin took a step to follow then froze. Another presence joined them, but…

“Positivity isn’t the only tool at your disposal.”

Sabin raised his fists and darted his eyes about them. Took a step in front of Relm. “Who are you?” Sabin raised his voice. “State your purpose!”

“Who are you talking to?” Relm hissed behind him.

A shadow of both dark and light faded into view and took the shape of a man. “I apologize for the alarm. I forget how the living takes to the appearance of spirits.”

The man’s hair was graying, and he raised his hands in surrender. His form remained translucent.

Sabin steadied himself. “You didn’t answer my question, ghost.”

“My name is Galuf.” He took a step forward and slowly lowered his hands. “I’ve come here on behalf of the Council of the Dead to assist you and your world.”

Sabin blinked. Council of the Dead? “Isn’t the phantom train a one-way trip?”

“It usually functions that way.” Galuf rubbed at his chin. “We’re in special circumstances.”

That was just about the worst news he’d received. Ever. “If you can come here, who else might?”

Galuf’s jaw hung for a moment. “Oh, of course, I’m sorry.” He waved his hands in the air. “You shouldn’t worry about Kefka. Much as it pains me to admit it, Hell does a good job of keeping its own contained. Mateus is especially pointed about keeping their appearances.”

Sabin understood maybe half of that. The important half.

“Sabin!” Relm stiffened up beside him. “ _Who_ are you _talking_ to?”

“She can’t see me.” Galuf gave Relm a soft look. “But that’s a good thing. I can’t repeat what it takes to develop sight for the realm of spirits.”

“Galuf,” Sabin explained, eyes still on the man. “Says he’s a spirit here to help us.”

“Oh, _great_.” Relm put a hand on her hip. “Either you’ve lost it or I’m missing the perfect chance to capture the likeness of a dead person.”

Sabin slowly dropped his hands. “How do you propose ‘assisting’ us?”

Galuf hesitated. He looked toward Kohlingen. “Ideally, I would guide you in saving this world. But we may have to accept that it’s beyond saving.”

Relm snatched Sabin’s hand and ran forward, trying her best to pull him with her. It was a pitiful attempt. “Come on, Sabin! I gotta go get my sketchbook! It’s been forever since I got to draw a ghost!”

Galuf’s expression brightened again and Sabin couldn’t help relaxing at the man’s warm presence.

“Thank you for your offer.” Sabin pulled his hand free of Relm, who grabbed it again. “But unless you’re here to offer concrete advice, then I’ve got better things to do. Relm, we have to finish our job.”

“Come on!” Relm yelled, still pulling. “It’s a _ghost_!”

Galuf took steps toward them. Sabin pulled Relm back behind him, but he doubted it was necessary. “We have a few options to choose from.”

Sabin started walking the way that Gau went. Relm harrumphed next to him, then ran ahead. Galuf followed.

It didn’t take long for Gau to rejoin them, remarkably unhurt from his expedition. “Nothing there. Ghost man?”

Sabin groaned. “Why does everyone-?”

“Oh, no.” Galuf stepped toward Gau. “This one has seen too much.”

Gau blinked. “Too much?”

Sabin stopped short. “You can see him?”

“You can _see_ him?” Relm demanded. “Not fair!”

“Why too much?” Gau cocked his head. “Eyes bad?”

“Not bad.” Galuf stepped forward and kneeled to Gau’s level. “Special. You’ve experienced enough of life’s cycle to see through the mortal veil. Your hardship has won you a sort of alliance with the dead, I suppose.”

Gau scrunched up his brow. “Hard make dead seen?”

“In a sense.” Galuf looked up at Sabin. “This isn’t abnormal to him – I’ll ask after his exposure, but I doubt this is anything worth stressing.”

Sabin folded his arms. “I’ll take your word for it.”

Relm jumped up and grabbed his arm. Held on with surprising strength. “I need a picture! Have him stay!”

“We’ll get to that later.” Sabin shook her off and they resumed their travel.

Much later.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Fang sat, stunned, as Deuce finished explaining where everyone else was. Nine and Sazh gathered with them on empty barrels and crates in the little shadowed corner by a building.

Snow, Light, Vanille, Serah – Deuce reaffirmed that they were all safe. Noel wasn’t yet. Hope and Dajh were both gone and under Bhunivelze’s control.

Deuce continued, “Bhunivelze has no way to reach Valhalla. We should gather there. The sooner we get back, the better.”

“What do you know about Noel?” Yeul asked.

“My sister Cater is there now.” Deuce gave her a reassuring smile. “She’s strong and should get him safely home.”

“But that didn’t save Hope, did it?” Sazh asked quietly. Fang caught the edge in his voice.

Deuce gave him an uncomfortable look. “… No.”

“But this is different,” Nine growled. “That kid was marked. Seven didn’t work hard enough, yo.”

“I wouldn’t…” Deuce worked her jaw. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“Was Dajh marked?” Sazh asked quietly.

Deuce paused. “Not… not in the same way, no.”

Fang leaned back against the brick wall, arms folded, eyes closed. They would just keep going. Nothing new there.

“We don’t know where your son is, but we’re looking.” Deuce snapped back to a soldier’s pose. “We have a trail we’re following and if you want to find him, you should come with us.”

“Snow told me you guys would lay off,” Sazh bit out.

“That was before your son vanished.”

Sazh gave a measured breath and stood. Then walked off. Yeul resumed conversation with the Reds and no one tried to follow the old man.

Fang did. The other three said nothing at her leaving and she found him down by the river, the rippling water dull in the overcast midday. He sat watching the murky waters, arms propping him up.

She stopped beside him, arms folded, and nudged him with her foot. “You know, I thought you had your priorities sorted. Didn’t figure that you honestly didn’t care about the rest of us.”

He snorted.

Fang waited for more of a response but got nothing. She yawned and stretched and gave him all the time he needed to defend himself or something. But he said nothing.

She tried again, “So, what, you’ll show up when you need something and the rest of us just get to manage without you?”

“I only care about Dajh.”

She watched him for a moment. He still didn’t look up. “Nothing else you can do, or are you just paranoid?”

He took a sharp intake of breath then rose to his feet and _finally_ faced her. It was a moment before he responded, anger bouncing in his eyes. “You got the guts to tell me that after all this, after I’ve lost my son no less than _four_ times, I’m too cautious about his safety?” He took a step forward. She held her ground. “There’s a god out there who has it out for us. Dajh and I were safe where we were. It was remote. The chances of Him finding us where we were? _Lower than Saronia’s dungeons_.”

“Unless He wins, in which case I think we’re all screwed. Depending on what He’s gonna get out of it, you couldn’t last long hiding away. We always did best when we fought back, that’s how we _won_.”

“Won?” Sazh scoffed and threw his hands up in the air. “You think we _won_? Far as I can tell, not even those red kids know what His endgame is, and we’ve been played this whole time. All these centuries, and it’s a _game_ to Him.”

“It’s never been good for us.” Fang took steady breaths, kept calm. “Probably been bad for a lot of people. Haven’t we always faced this thing head-on?”

“Exactly.” He raised his pointer finger, taking a step backward. “ _Exactly._ We always go up against it, but does it make a difference? In the end, the only thing we’ve ever managed is put off the inevitable. Why can’t we take a break, _live_ our lives for once?”

“Think about that.” She dropped her hands. “If we want to have lives of our own, we’re gonna have to stand up and defend them. You really want to roll the dice with that?”

“I don’t have a choice! To fight back we have to ascend or some crap. We’d give up our mortality! _Forever_! What, are you _okay_ with that?”

“I’ve been alive so long I’m beginning to think I’m already immortal.” A disconcerting throb in her stomach. “I wouldn’t want to go into that alone.”

Sazh stared at her, eyes wide. “You just gonna _accept_ that?”

She shrugged. “If it gets me back to everyone else. Sounds like I don’t have to do it all alone. None of us do – that’s why we have each other.”

Sazh closed his eyes and turned back to the river. For a moment, the gurgling, dirty water was all she heard.

“…I can’t just give up on my chance at normalcy.” He opened his eyes and she pretended not to notice the glimmer there. “Dajh left on his own. He kept talking about how he wanted to see everyone else, but I… I couldn’t let it happen. Now he’s in Bhunivelze’s hands.”

She wanted to be angry at him, but she couldn’t. He wanted to protect someone and thought that was the best way to do that. “You must have realized it wouldn’t be safe forever.”

“Didn’t see it that way.” He shrugged and cleared his throat. “You guys shouldn’t need me to clean this mess up.”

Fang was stunned. The thought of leaving him behind never registered as a possibility. She remembered to breathe. “You know that we’d all do anything for each other.”

He didn’t respond.

“And that goes for you too.”

Still nothing.

“Does that mean _nothing_ to you?”

“Like _hell_ it means nothing!” Sazh whipped around and jabbed a finger her direction. “You kids come in and expect me to have the same energy as you. I _don’t,_ I’m _tired,_ and I want to live out the rest of my days in _peace_! You come in with all this guilt like you never learned how to _listen_!”

She had given up on a life of her own so long ago.

“My priority is making sure Dajh is safe. Clearly, things have changed, but that will _always_ be my priority.”

Fighting for Vanille’s life. A crystal. A l’Cie.

Sazh took a deep breath before quietly continuing. “Even when that’s my full-time job, I can’t manage it.”

For a second, Fang thought she saw what he meant. “Vanille was going to kill herself for that bastard.”

Sazh drew up short. “Come again?”

“Back at the end of the world. She was supposed to kill herself in an inane ritual to destroy the souls of the dead. Idiot girl. The Order had it all set up. I did everything I could to stop it, but… I was alone. Without Light, Snow, and that kid, Noel, things would have turned out a lot differently.”

“And yet things are what they are. That thing I said I’d tell you about? Those travelers that break gates? They think they’re doing the right thing. I know a lot of them and they all may as well be warriors of light. And look at the mess they’re leaving.”

Fang huffed. “Yeah, like we should trust everything these students say. We keep going, we never stop. Done it before, we’ll do it again.”

“… Fair point.” Sazh took a slow breath. “But I stand by what I said. Trouble follows adventurers and I’ve had my fill of trouble.”

“Fine. Not my decision. But you’re gonna regret it, old man.”

“Maybe.” He glanced toward the horizon. “Maybe not.”

* * *

 

 “I apologize for that.”

Sabin jumped out of his seat when Galuf reappeared beside him. Advisors looked up at the sight but had the presence of mind to not say anything. Sabin opened his mouth to respond before thinking better of it and turning to leave the building, Galuf trailing behind him.

Galuf said, “I believe I’ve found a way to get everyone off your world. If we could manage that, then there are ways to bring you all back years into the future, when it has recovered itself from the brink.”

Sabin knew Strago would be off studying in his and Relm’s shack.

“It’s not the most ideal route, but it’s all we can find for now. It took a lot of convincing for the council to even allow me to come here and suggest it, but they are willing to compromise.”

Sabin pushed open the door to the shack and strode in. Strago looked up from his work with bleary eyes.

“Hello Sabin.” He lifted a hand in greeting. “Relm still wants you to tell her about your ghost.”

“Strago.” Sabin stopped in the middle of the room. “You know anything about the dead? Tricks for making them visible?”

Strago coughed. “They aren’t tricks.” He shot Sabin a stern expression that quickly turned to excitement. “But I do have… some reagents.”

Galuf looked between the two. “If I wanted to make myself visible to him, I would’ve done that already.”

Sabin shrugged and Strago gathered an armful of glass bottles, wooden boxes, and canvas bags. He dumped them all on a poor, creaking table, then sorted through them. “Where is the… Ah!” Strago shot straight up, gripping one of the bags. He untied the top and pinched some of whatever was in there. “Now, where is this ghost?”

“Right…” Sabin pointed at Galuf’s feet. “Here.”

Strago tossed dust directly into Galuf’s face. Sabin wrinkled his nose. It smelled like old meat.

Galuf quirked an eyebrow. “You know, we’re running against a bit of a clock.”

“What _was_ that?” Sabin asked, waving at the air in front of his nose, trying to dispel the smell.

“That was hipoly.” Strago retied the bag with a grimace. “The plant used to grow around the unburied. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.”

“I received proper funereal rites when I died.” Galuf gave Sabin a stern look. “Could we stop wasting time now?”

Strago uncorked a bottle. Sabin held his nose against the stench of blood that drifted his way. Galuf groaned and stiffened when Strago came back, knelt on the ground, and carefully let out one drop onto the hipoly dust on the ground.

Sabin decided not to ask what _that_ stuff was.

Strago pulled himself back to his feet and took a step back, held his breath, and watched Galuf with intent eyes.

His expression fell after a moment. “Go ahead and tell me what the ghost wants while I work on this,” Strago said, turning back to the reagents.

“His name is Galuf. Says he’s come on behalf of some dead people to help us out of this mess we’ve found ourselves in.”

Strago nodded whilst examining some containers.

“Yes, the dead council.” Galuf rubbed at his forehead. “They’ve decided on a potential fix and I’ve come to propose it to your people.”

Sabin watched as Strago settled on a little wooden box that he carried forward. The old mage pulled some wooden thing from the box and held it out. “Would you mind asking your friend to take this?”

“Galuf-”

“I heard,” Galuf snapped. He reached out and tapped the stick. Strago smiled and put it back in the box.

“What was that for?” Galuf asked after a moment, as Strago put the box back. Sabin relayed the question.

“Ah.” Strago turned to face them with a smile. “I still can’t see him, but I now know for certain that your ghost friend does, in fact, exist.”

Sabin slumped. “… Really.”

Galuf squinted his eyes shut. “Anyway, the plan is to evacuate the planet via the Phantom Train.”

Sabin choked. “The – the Phantom Train?”

Strago looked up, alarmed.

“It isn’t ideal, but with the support of the council we can safeguard the entire trip. The biggest issue is finding somewhere to take you.” A wry smile drifted over Galuf’s face. “It’s better than staying and dying of disease and hunger.”

“I thought the train was gone,” Strago said. “What’s going on?”

“The train will always be here,” Galuf said.

The door burst open and Relm strolled in straight through Galuf. “Hey Gramps. What’s-” She paused to look between Sabin and Strago. A grin lit up her face. “The ghost is back, isn’t he?”

Sabin nodded. Relm squealed and sprinted up the rickety steps. Strago raised a hand to stop her, but it was too late.

“That girl…” Strago muttered.

“Do you have any objections?” Galuf asked. “Because the sooner we get moving the more of you are likely to survive.”

Strago threw more dust at Galuf.

Sabin bit his cheek. “What’s the risk?”

“Well, the projections aren’t as optimistic as I would like-”

“Ha!” Strago clapped and grinned. “No, please, keep talking.”

Galuf stared at Strago. “Did your magic work, then?”

“Vileroot is exceptional when it comes to communication with the dead, but the question on vengeful spirit or not… that made me work. Since you interacted with Molan’s Shadow, you clearly weren’t-”

“Whoa!” Relm stood frozen on the stairs, staring straight at Galuf, who dropped his head. “Awesome, Gramps!” She bounced the rest of the way down and dropped herself and her paints to the floor in the same motion before she flipped open her old sketchbook. Luckily, her powers there were as inert as any other.

“Glad to have your attention,” Galuf muttered.

Sabin smiled, glad to no longer be the middle man. “You were saying.”

Galuf gave Strago and Relm a long, uncomfortable look before continuing. “I was saying that we hope that the casualties stay at a minimum, but there is no way to promise such a thing. There are a lot of hazards that come with crossing worlds in any path but bringing so many increases the risks.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Sabin glanced at Strago, who simply nodded at Galuf’s foreboding words. “There are only about half a million of us left.” Not all in Kohlingen, of course. Smaller groups of hundreds or less were elsewhere, doing what they could to farm other land or other such work.

“That is exactly the problem.” Galuf dropped his arms and something about his stance seemed familiar to Sabin. “These people are dying. We can keep trying to sustain them as best we can in these terrible conditions, but the likelihood of the populace as a whole making it long enough is unlikely, at best.”

Relm flipped a page on her book. “Could you look up at the ceiling, mister?” She tapped a brush in a cup of dirty water. When did she get that?

Galuf regarded her for a moment, then smiled. “I think that would be distracting to the conversation. Perhaps later.”

Relm huffed, then put the brush back to the paper and made broad strokes.

“Sabin, I believe we should trust the man.” Strago stood to his feet, taking deep breaths once standing. “He’s a non-malicious ghost, there can’t be any other reason for his communication.”

Galuf nodded and raised a hand to point at Strago. “There you go.”

“As such,” Strago continued, “We should take him to Edgar for a final decision.”

Right, because important decisions still went through Edgar, even though they ended up moving a hospital bed to his council room.

“Okay, fine, but you’re coming.” Sabin narrowed his eyes at Strago. “No saddling this problem off on someone else.”

“Wait!” Relm squeaked and reached a hand out. Sabin paused a half step away. Galuf moved with him. “Where did he go?”

“Ah, yes.” Strago picked up the container of dust that had worked before. “I’ll have to stabilize the connection with your friend once we get there.”

Sabin glanced at Galuf, who simply shrugged and walked straight through the door. Sabin followed and led Galuf, Strago, and a grumbling Relm through the alleys to the town hall. Relm’s arms were full of her sketchbook, brushes, paints, and the cup of dirty water. There was no way that much junk would make it to the town hall.

“This is not the way we tend to operate.” Galuf didn’t seem to be addressing anyone specific, but Sabin was pretty sure that Strago and Relm couldn’t hear him anymore. “I dislike breaking with tradition.”

“I’m guessing most situations your council handles are a little different.”

Galuf paused. “It’s… difficult to compare.”

“We’re looking at the end of our world and it’s hard to compare?” Sabin shook his head. “This light god must be a piece of work.”

Galuf tightened his lips and kept quiet.

Sabin led the small group into the city hall and straight into the main chamber. Edgar’s face was pressed into the desk, despite the hospital bed across the room, and his chest moved in silent, even breaths.

“Edgar!” Sabin called. Beside him, Galuf stopped. Edgar didn’t respond.

“Is this the reason he left earlier?” whispered one of the advisors. “Should we wake His Majesty?”

The advisor’s friend shook his head. “Best not to disturb him now.”

“Sabin, where is our visitor?” Strago asked, glancing around the room. Sabin pointed at the ground beneath Galuf, and Strago sprinkled more dust on the spot.

The whole room jumped as one and Sabin knew the magic worked. Edgar startled awake and looked about him like he was caught sneaking pie from the kitchens. “What-?”

The advisors’ clamoring drowned his poor brother’s confusion and a thousand questions spilled through the room in a cacophony of not-quite-shouting voices.

“Edgar…” Sabin took a few steps forward. “We’ve got another visitor. He says he’s here from some council of dead people to help out.”

“How many more of these people must harass us?” Edgar muttered before putting his head in his hands. “Ugh. Give me… just one second.”

The advisors quieted and Edgar dragged a paper back to its stack. Wiped some bloodless drool from the top and circled the desk in wobbling steps.

A stern-faced doctor dragged the chair Edgar had just been sitting on to the other side of the table. Pointed at it.

“Does this mean…” He used the desk to steady himself, then grudgingly did as the doctor suggested. If he had waited any longer, Sabin would have dealt with it himself. “Is this different from the rest of the desperate stragglers?”

“It’s risky, but yes. They’ve got a plan.” Sabin pointed Edgar to Galuf and let the ghost explain it all again.

Edgar listened with groggy – yet rapt – attention and his advisors scribbled down so many notes.

Something that wouldn’t kill so many people would be ideal, but the only way that would happen was if the world itself stabilized. If magic came back. Maybe he should give up on the hope of a miracle.

The second Galuf stopped talking, one of Edgar’s advisors, a man by the name of Peltos, slapped a hand on one of the desks. “Different from the stragglers? Odin, man, this being may bring a plan, but what difference has it from the rest of our ideas? A choice between one life or another! We’ll trade lives!”

“It’s a _chance_ ,” came the immediate response from another, a woman named Emmy. “We can’t say how many we would lose here! That’s better than assuring the death of a few for the health of less! We may come out with as many as leave!”

“Let’s not be hasty,” bit back another. Sabin didn’t know this woman’s name. “From whence does this ghost come and who is he to demand our trust?”

Edgar glanced back to the papers on his desk. “Haste is a danger, but one we should risk. Our numbers dwindle day by day. Either we slowly die here, or we die quickly there.”

“Thus, we condemn our wounded.” One elderly man shook his head.

“For the sake of the rest,” said another. “Should we risk the life of all for a slight improvement in the few?”

“Is it our place to choose?”

“Whether or not we’re suited to the task, it is now our choice to make. Unless we somehow unlearn the information we’ve just obtained.”

“What does our king choose?” asked one woman.

All eyes turned to Edgar and Sabin followed them. Edgar stuck out his chin. “I won’t watch my people die a slow and humiliating death in the hands of a cursed planet. I will urge all that would join me to take this train to the other side.”

Silence. Shock betrayed some, others slowly nodded.

Edgar looked to him and Sabin knew he expected feedback. But he couldn’t summon any feeling for the cold in his chest.

Edgar had proven more decisive than he had been in months.

His brother looked away and Sabin swallowed his hesitation before he stood and left.

He would follow Edgar, of course. But that wouldn’t soothe his fears over crossing with the dead souls that plagued their land.


	6. Chapter 6

Sabin stood in the throne room, one hand on the armrest of the throne itself. Looking around, he could pin a hundred memories to every stone, rug, and tapestry. Running and playing with Edgar, interrupting important business run by their father, even creating stories of their own to explain the more mysterious parts of the castle.

Now, the room was filled with barrels and canvas bags full of preserved foodstuffs. He didn’t know hunger or fear or uncertainty as a child – he would give anything for that blissful ignorance again.

Galuf said that they wouldn’t be displaced for long. That they would find a way to travel forward into the future of their own world within a year.

Sabin’s grip on the armrest tightened.

Behind him, the door creaked open. Sabin didn’t need to look up to know who it would be coming in at such a late hour. Not with that slight pause in the step, then the newfound confidence in the stride, despite the weak of it.

“Our engineers determined submerging by first light.” Edgar carried himself so much stronger in the past few hours. Kept a crutch just in case.

Sabin felt the nostalgia vanish. Edgar came to stand beside him and looked up at the tapestries behind the throne. If they stayed any longer, they would turn those into blankets. His brother was thinner than ever before, but he had that glint in his eye back.

They were going to live.

Sabin slapped a hand on Edgar’s shoulder. Threw the other arm around to the other shoulder to make sure Edgar didn’t fall.

He stabilized a moment later.

“I’m sure that was necessary,” Edgar grumbled, yet he sported a wide smile as he shoved Sabin’s arm away. His face had regained some of the color it had lost with his illness. “You should make yourself ready.”

Ready to cross the world, to the remnants of the forest that once housed the phantom train. Sabin steadied himself at the thought.

“Listen.” Edgar paused. “I want to apologize for not trying harder. Maybe we could have found something else.”

“No worries, bro. I’ll just be rubbing it in for the rest of our long lives.”

“Assuming we make it across.”

Sabin sobered. Placed an encouraging hand on Edgar’s shoulder that made the man stumble.

They stood in silence for a while. Most thoughts went unsaid and Sabin took the time to simply enjoy being with his brother.

Who knew how much more time they would have.

“I’m gonna get out of here.” Sabin clapped Edgar’s shoulder again, carefully this time. Edgar nodded, but didn’t look towards him.

Sabin left the room without another word. He didn’t enjoy sleeping when this giant hunk of metal was moving, so he’d prefer to get that done first.

“Sir!” One of Edgar’s men just about hit him in his haste. “Sir, we’ve got two, uh…”

Sabin tensed for more bad news like he wasn’t used to it already. “Spit it out, man.”

“A couple flew into the castle and demanded to see Leonora! They’re threatening violence, but she’s not up to visitors and-!”

Sabin waved him away. “I’ll handle it.”

He was directed toward the battlements, where he found what they were talking about. Garishly-dressed, a man and a woman argued with the guards that kept them out.

“Pardon me,” said Sabin, “but I can speak for Leonora.”

The man snapped his attention to Sabin and _flew_ his way in a smooth motion before stumbling to a halt before him. Messy cuts and scabs littered his exposed skin and his odd clothes were ripped and dirtied at the edges. “You’ll let me in there if you value your life,” the man said in a husky voice. Probably severely dehydrated.

He also had one of those jewel things attached to his head, though this one was almost hidden by his matted hair.

“I value _Leonora’s_ life. She’s a sweet woman and I don’t want to see her hurt.”

Something glinted in the man’s eyes and his mouth quirked in a sneer. “I know what’s best for her.”

“Uh huh.” Sabin looked up as the woman floated closer. She didn’t look any better off than the man. “If you don’t want the dungeons, then I recommend you speak with the king, first.”

“Screw the king.” The man shoved past him with surprising strength and, when Sabin moved to block him, summoned a barrier of ice that blasted the ground and separated them. “I’ll find her on my own if I need to.”

“Palom,” groaned the girl. “This will just slow us down!”

Palom ignored her and moved on. Sabin looked to the woman. “What do you want with Leonora?”

“To heal her.” The woman looked at him with weary eyes. “If she’s hurt like they said, we’re the only ones that can save her.”

“You know she’s bleeding from her skull?”

“Enhancements like what she has are touchy.” The woman put a hand to the ice barrier and it shattered. “I realize we have nothing to offer that will earn us the trust we need, but I swear we’ll leave you and your people alone if we can take our friend and go.”

Sabin looked to the flabbergasted guards and gestured for them to follow.

It took a bit to catch up to the other mage, but once they did, Sabin showed them to the healing wing.

Palom took to the air once those cots came into view and Sabin had to run to keep up.

“Leonora!” The man barreled past the confused medics that stood to stop him from reaching the girl on the farthest cot.

She barely moved at her name outside of turning her head. “Palom…?”

Palom lighted to the ground beside her and ripped the bandaging from her forehead. Let loose a string of curses so colorful that Sabin cleared his throat and hoped there were no children around.

“I’ve got you.” The other woman joined them and summoned white magic – where did they _get_ that stuff? “I don’t think we can fix it, but we should get you stabilized and ready to transport back for a re-installment.”

“They must have disconnected it days ago.” Palom took Leonora’s wrist and put an iced hand to her forehead. “She’s so pale… Porom, this is bad.”

“Let me work.”

“Do you have enough?”

“We’ll just have to see, won’t we?”

Sabin waved a medic over– a girl that looked too much like young Relm. “Watch them, alright?”

The two worked quietly and Palom wouldn’t release Leonora’s wrist even as he argued with his companion. The more he watched them, the more Sabin felt at ease. They may be cranky, but there didn’t appear to be any ill will.

Until Palom blasted the ground about him with fire and Sabin jumped back. “No, she’ll be _fine_!”

Porom pursed her lips. “It’s hard to say-”

“Damn you, there’s nothing hard about this! We have the magic, we just need to-”

Porom put up a hand and Palom silenced. “Let me work and try not to antagonize our hosts any further.”

He hissed, “Don’t _do_ that!”

In a measured voice, she said, “Do what?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about! Geez, let the sun get to you, much?”

“Your quips don’t bother me when you’re too hungry to think straight. Go find a snack and get back to me.”

“Not until you replenish your mana.”

“I _will_ save her – it’s just the attachment that’s a problem.”

“That’s unacceptable.” Palom shot to his feet and stalked Sabin’s way. Fire burst to life in his hands. “I hope you know what you’ve-…” Wobbled on his feet. “… What you assholes have done.”

Sabin raised an eyebrow. “You two should rest, as should Leonora.”

“I don’t…” Palom paused and his eyes fluttered. Flames blinked out and left orange glitter in the air. “You don’t…”

He collapsed.

Sabin rushed to the man’s side and Porom hissed out one too many insults under her breath. The girl medic didn’t need an order to call over help and get to hauling the man to one of the cots. The air about him sparkled in various hues, like ice fell about the body.

“Oh, interesting,” piped up one of the medics. “Wonder if that’s connected to their casting without mana?”

Sabin looked at Porom, who didn’t return the gaze. “You two are siblings?”

“Twins.”

“I should have guessed.” Sabin joined her by Palom’s side. “I used to act the same with my own twin brother.”

Porom shifted. “Used to?”

“Don’t take your time together for granted.” Sabin put a hand on her shoulder. “You never know what might happen.”

“Slipping into a portal like we did was a touch unexpected.”

Sabin sighed – that wasn’t what he meant, but this was not his business. Moved to speak with one of the medics. “Find out all that you can. And make sure they both get water and rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

Porom cast him a quizzical look before Sabin left to return to his duties.

* * *

Fang stood on a parapet during one of too many stops to air out the castle, make it livable for a little longer. The sheer amount of people they had inside made it hard to breathe at times. Beyond that, they made stops to pick up more and more on the way. It was going to take a lot of trips to and from the train to get everyone and they planned to pack the castle to the brim each time.

A light rain drizzled down from above. Each drop felt more like dust than water, but she supposed it had to still be good for the planet.

The breeze played with her hair and the weight of the spear on her back tempted her, given the few dozen feet between her and the ground. She could taste those winds again.

Fang gave in and Jumped.

Air whipped around her for one thrilling moment and all too quickly she landed again. The ground trapped her with gravity.

Fang wandered around the castle and earned odd looks from the guards she passed. She wasn’t supposed to be on patrol now, but damn it, she didn’t exactly have anything else to do.

“Fang.”

She turned around to face Yeul. She didn’t like that she only knew Yeul through crystal dreams.

The girl bit her lip. “Do you trust Deuce and Nine?”

Fang heard so many stories, legends, and myths about the Seeress, yet here she stood and did not look at all like Fang had imagined her. The stories painted her as a mysterious girl, but she looked so _fragile_ in her uncertainty _._ “I don’t trust people.”

“They don’t know where Sazh’s son is.” Yeul shivered. People milled around them in the drizzling rain and children ran for the muddy puddles. “And Hope is worse. Deuce and Nine told me that one of their friends is with Noel now, but… does that mean anything?”

“Sazh said Dajh ran off and got himself into his own trouble, and it sounds like little Hope is special to Bhunivelze.” There would be hell to pay for all that, but even Vanille made it out safe and she wasn’t exactly a small catch. “No reason to think that Noel’s gonna turn out worse.”

Yeul hesitated. “Thank you.”

“Besides-”

“FANG!”

She looked up at the shout. Maybe she should have stayed atop the tower after all. “What in the-”

Drew up short.

Snow _barreled_ into her and Fang lost her footing. His too-big arms caught her up in a bear hug and crushed her against his chest. “Long time no freaking _see_!”

She choked back, “What’s up?”

“So much!” Snow released her and Fang gasped down precious breaths. “You heard about the whole becoming-gods thing? Crazy, right?”

“Insane,” Fang said and turned to see Lightning saunter their way. “You traveling together, now?”

Lightning quirked that small smile of hers. “Only because Serah won’t get off her butt.”

“With that out of the way…” Snow clapped his hands together. “We got some bad news-”

“I heard about the kids,” Fang cut him off.

Lightning scowled. “Screw that. We’re getting them back.”

“You should tell Sazh that.”

“Wait, Sazh is here?” Snow asked. “Where?”

“In the castle,” Yeul said.

“That’s another three accounted for.” Lightning didn’t exactly sound overjoyed. “Just about doubles what we have so far.”

“Aw, you guys looking out for us?” Fang asked with a sly smile. “Careful, might get the impression that you care.”

Lightning gave her a cold look. “You’re not safe until you’re in Valhalla. Let’s not test that again.”

“After I make sure this planet is salvaged, alright?” Fang gestured. “’Bout to get these sorry souls somewhere safe because Bahamut’s taking too long.”

“So tired of playing the damn hero.”

“You’re not the only one.”

“Hey, hey!” Snow slapped a hand on each of their shoulders. “Look at us! We’re getting so close!”

Lightning cast Fang a look. “They brought him back, first.”

“That explains it,” Fang put a hand over Snow’s. “Poor man’s gone mad from waiting.”

Snow just about knocked her over when he pushed away. “This makes seven of us! Only three to go, right?”

Lightning looked away. “The rest aren’t exactly close.”

“Noel is!”

Fang said, “We’ll get them all, you two. Just hold your horses.”

“That’s the spirit!” Snow offered his fist and she bumped it. “We’ll be together in no time!”

Fang grinned back, but she didn’t miss Lightning’s scowl and the way her hand gripped the sword at her side like she would whip it right out.

Just like she did during their cold watches on Pulse.

* * *

Sabin stepped outside and sucked in air.

“I know I’ve said it before.” Galuf phased into existence beside him. “But I promise that we will do everything in our power to safeguard this exodus.”

“Another chance is all we can ask for.”

The castle began to unload behind him as directed by Locke. Sabin could barely hear the man from here.

“How long will it take to get to the other side?” Sabin strolled a few feet forward. They weren’t far from the forest that Galuf called the train to.

“Estimates are around a week or two-” Galuf cut off and narrowed his eyes to the distance. “Something’s wrong.”

Huh? Sabin followed his gaze out to the forest but couldn’t see what caught Galuf’s attention. “What is it?”

“Take a search party out to the train,” Galuf said, not looking Sabin’s way. “ _Do not_ board until I return. I will be back as soon as I can.”

Sabin opened his mouth to object, but Galuf left before he could.

* * *

Celes let Cyan lead the party. It was just a reconnaissance mission, after all.

They paused inside the woods and Cyan crouched to the ground, examining the dirt and the underbrush.

“Is this familiar, Cyan?” Celes asked.

“Quite.” Cyan’s voice was quieter than usual. Celes knew what the train meant to him and didn’t push it.

He stood to his full height and hurried through the branches and leaves ahead. “Existing here are recognizable signs of otherness that this train doth bring!”

Celes shook her head and followed. Locke trailed behind. Just a reconnaissance mission meant that he could still help.

“We doth grow closer!” Cyan shouted. Celes raised an eyebrow and they continued their trek onwards, into the woods. Cyan disappeared behind a thick corner of foliage a few feet ahead. It would be no small task to escort thousands this way.

“Wait!”

A figure formed in front of her, causing her to come to a sudden halt. It was short, taking the form of a young child and on its head sat the tallest and pointiest hat she ever saw.

The child bounced. “Something’s wrong! Galuf said so!”

“Who are you?” Locke asked and drew a knife with his good arm from one of his hidden sheaths.

The kid locked his eyes on the knife. “There’s something wrong with the ghosts!”

_Cyan._

Celes ran straight through the child and chased after her friend.

* * *

Sabin paced in the fields. They set up encampments while waiting, given it would take days to get everyone in this load through.

The search party had been gone for too long and he was beyond ready for them to get back. Galuf hadn’t returned in ages and Sabin was prepared to lead what remained of civilization to the train without him. But he held back because Celes’ party delayed and that was a bad sign.

So he made his way up to the battlements to get a good view of the border between them and the forest.

“Hey, Sabin.” Terra approached and rubbed at her arms, eyes caught on the forest. “You’ll miss it, right?”

Sabin paused. “I’ve done a lot of exploring.”

“Same.” Terra took a deep breath. “I’m excited. To see new places, you know.”

He didn’t say anything at first. Didn’t want to dampen her mood with the reminder that it wouldn’t be enough to save her.

“That’s great.” Sabin grinned and hoped it would warm him. “The more excited we are, the better.”

Terra smiled back before Galuf’s presence descended and Sabin grimaced at the disorienting feeling.

“You need to get these people back into the castle.” Galuf gestured to the thousands on the grounds below. “The vengeful will come the moment they sense the living.”

“The what?”

Terra froze and snapped her eyes to the forest.

Galuf raised his tone, “Now, prince! NOW!”

* * *

“Cyan!” Celes yelled. Beside her, the child floated along and Locke ran.

Finally caught sight of their friend, who turned to see her with a stern look.

“Oh no…” whispered the little ghost.

Behind Cyan the phantom train laid on its side across broken tracks.

* * *

Fang ran to those who readied weapons meant to dispel the undead. But weapons were unreliable.

“Where do you want me?” Fang asked upon getting close enough to Sabin. Without a word, he gestured along the line, where they gathered buckets. Most made their way into the castle, others stayed on defense. A gathering of covered barrels clustered near the front and Fang Jumped down to find a dark powder inside.

Fang shook her head, swallowed her growing panic, and took her place. Steadied her breath and let the wind calm her racing heart.

“Fang!” Sazh ran to join her. Snow and Lightning followed close behind.

Lightning strode right past the line and earned several cries of panic. She ignored them.

“Guess it’s a good thing we’re here.” Snow punched his fist.

Sazh brandished his pistols – Fang missed those. He looked to the barrels of powder. “Those supposed to keep the dead back?”

She nodded and the breeze picked up. “When it’s lit.”

“I guess this is it, then.” He chuckled and Fang warmed at the sound. “Where’s those spirits?”

“I’m more surprised that our babysitters haven’t shown up.” Fang glanced behind them. No sign of Nine or Deuce.

Lightning stayed ahead of the line and twirled a sword out of her holster.

“They say there’s an army of the dead coming our way, Queen.”

 _There_ was Deuce. She stood behind the battlements with Nine.

“Care to share with the class?” Sazh called their way.

Deuce kept talking, but Fang couldn’t make out the words past a gust of wind.

“She’s been talking with the other side for a while now,” Yeul appeared behind Sazh and he jumped a good foot in the air.

Lightning twitched. “Deuce, tell Queen to shut the hell up and focus on the other worlds! We don’t need her eyes here right now!”

Deuce gave Lightning a frown and kept talking. Summoned her flute and the wind died enough for Fang to catch, “Understood and accepted. Deuce out.”

Nine took out a spear and Fang raised hers for him to see. He grinned from ear to ear and struck his in the air.

“Our orders are to hold this world!” Deuce called. “Bhunivelze’s pawns will gain no victory from us!”

Lightning bit out a colorful metaphor and turned back to the forest.

* * *

The wind picked up. Sabin thought it appropriately ominous as they stood and watched the woods.

Terra still stood beside him but hardly said a word since Galuf returned.

“There is still a chance that Vivi got there in time,” Galuf said. “But the train is unusable regardless.”

Sabin straightened and puffed out his chest. They would fight to the last. Every person that made it into the castle before it submerged was a victory.

Gau bounced up beside him. “Ready!”

Terra looked over the edge. “Looks like Edgar found Strago, Relm and Setzer. They’re getting in line.”

Sabin joined her and found his brother approach that pink-haired woman ahead of the line. How could he lead an army in his condition?

Sabin blinked. The line was sparsely populated. How were there so few to defend them?

For a moment, he found himself wishing Mog and Umaro were around. The yeti would be a big help, but the two of them were off living wherever it was the rest of the moogles were. Not to mention Gogo, whom he hadn’t seen since Kefka’s tower.

Other than those who had been at the tower, there were soldiers from Castle Figaro, and a few dozen able-bodied men and women from around the world.

“It’s coming,” Galuf whispered.

Terra stifled a cough – the burst from Leonora would only last so long.

“Terra sleep.” Gau pointed to the castle. She shook her head, eyes watering, and stood closer to Sabin.

His stomach twisted. A haze flowed from the woods.

Deep breaths. _Remember your training._

Sabin raised a hand and the line readied.

The haze fluctuated.

* * *

Celes watched the wave rip away from them and towards the castle.

Cyan couldn’t take his eyes off Vivi, as he had introduced himself. “Lady Celes, if this child is like unto Sir Galuf, then why hath we all the capability of beholding him?”

The child huffed. “Proximity to the dead roads!” He waved a hand in the air. “All those ghosts got lost on the way up and now they’re angry! The veil between life and death is really thin now!”

“Why are they ignoring us?” Locke asked slowly, dazed.

Vivi gripped that huge hat of his. “Because they’re not going to take the time to fight you when they know there are more out there, but we don’t have time for this! We have to get this train back on track!”

“We need to defend the castle.” Celes couldn’t take her eyes off the path back. Could they return in time?

The child ran in front of Celes. “No! If the train isn’t put up straight then the dead will have nowhere to go! Fighting usually helps them move on, but without the train they _can’t do that!_ ”

“What do you want us to do, kid?” Locke asked. “The three of us can’t lift a train by ourselves. Especially not… we can’t.”

Vivi grasped the rims of his hat. “The phantom train isn’t normal – I can help.”

Celes felt frozen to the spot. The train or the castle?

“C’mon, please! At least try!” Vivi reached out for Celes’ hand. Warmth where he touched her. “Just _try!_ ”

Celes remembered to breathe.

And followed Vivi to the train.

* * *

Sabin ran toward the line as the haze ripped out towards them. They’d only managed a handful of those barrels. They had to be a last resort.

Galuf disappeared, but Sabin could feel the ghost’s discomfort. This was _wrong_.

“Vivi and the others will stabilize the train,” Galuf whispered.

He left Gau and Terra at top of the castle. Caught sight of Strago and Relm. The line was longer than the width of the castle, but not by much.

And drew up short when two mages flew in and stopped him. Leonora’s friends.

“Please,” said Porom, “let us help.”

Sabin hesitated. “Even if you were well enough for that, how can we trust you?”

“We wouldn’t be asking,” Palom said, “if we wanted to blow your castle up. Believe it or not, we’re also invested in keeping an army of dead people from killing us.”

Sabin looked to the approaching army. It didn’t move as fast as it looked.

“You need firepower,” Palom said. “Oh, come on, I didn’t waste _everything_ on you guys.”

Porom placed a hand on Palom’s shoulder and he shrugged away.

“Fine,” Sabin said. “Let loose.”

“Thank you.” Porom leaped ahead, further than should be possible, and Palom went with her.

Sabin nodded his thanks to no one and moved on. As far as he could tell, every man and woman on the line had a weapon. The castle gates were ready to close. They would only submerge if the line failed.

People passed in a blur. Sabin didn’t run, but he walked faster than he should – missed the times when he took a full stomach for granted. His body didn’t respond like it used to.

Edgar stopped him near the forest side, having forgone his crutch for the morale of the troops. “Let’s make this the last fight our lives depend upon, shall we?”

“You bet.” Sabin took his place beside Edgar and entered a readied stance as the haze turned into humanoid forms. “To the last breath, brother?”

Edgar stood stronger and shared a content look with Sabin. “To the last breath.”

The air chilled before the ghosts finally slammed into the defenders.

* * *

Fang shoved the barrel over a second before the battle began. The powder inside spilled to the ground and the wind spread it further.

Lit it with a flicker of flame she summoned and watched it catch before she moved her attention to the ghosts.

She ripped her spear through the barely-coherent forms of vengeful ghosts and ripped holes in their feathery forms. Around her, Sazh blasted lead and Lightning cut them to strips. Snow punched their faces.

Nine jumped and stabbed through them faster than she could see and Deuce played a slow, dreadful tune on her flute.

In the corner of her eye, Fang saw a ghost slip through the fragile line and prepared to jump after it.

Before two arrows pierced it straight through and the form vanished. Those came from the side of the castle.

Lightning’s sister appeared around the corner and discarded the bow for a short sword. “Sorry we took so long!”

“Serah!” Lightning yelled. “What are you doing here?”

Serah rolled away from a ghost and twisted behind it, ran it through with a small knife. “I didn’t come alone!”

Snow moved her way and destroyed every ghost that came between them. “Can’t believe how long it’s been since you and I fought together!”

And then they kissed because _this_ was the time for that.

More arrows and a man with shaggy blonde hair appeared on the battlements with a woman that looked remarkably like Lightning, but with silver hair.

Not-Lightning jumped from the battlement and spun a whip through the ghosts that greeted her.

A few more after Deuce’s kind joined in – a redheaded kid rolled and dashed between singular targets and another woman swung a scythe that caught a handful at a time.

Those guys all moved closer to the forest and their uniforms like Deuce’s appeared damaged and burnt at the edges.

“How many of your friends _are_ there?” Fang yelled.

Deuce didn’t stop playing the flute to answer the question.

“Twelve!” called the scythe-lady. “But the other half are busy elsewhere!”

Nine leapt into the air and speared the ground just a few feet away. “Hey, Ace!” He ripped the spear out of the ground and spun it in his hand. Yelled at a kid that threw something small and sharp at the enemy lines. “How’s that magic club you left behind, yo?”

Fang threw her spear through a handful of ghosts. They all vanished.

“I left on Queen and King’s orders!” Ace spun more projectiles out and destroyed those closest to him. “ _He_ refused to come!” Ace jabbed a finger toward Sazh.

“I’m not gonna thank you for finally giving me personal space!” Sazh shouted back.

“Hey!” the girl with the scythe yelled. “No point in telling off _Ace_ when _Seven_ is the one who botched her mission!”

If Seven was one of those around, then she didn’t respond.

“Blame serves no purpose in any regard,” the man with the bow spoke up. “Our mental resources would be much better spent on another topic.”

“Nah, Sice is right!” Nine rolled past another ghost and stabbed it through the back. “Seven, you suck, yo!”

“I don’t think you did any better,” said the girl with the whip. “I heard Yeul slipped out of your grasp _inside_ the gate.”

“At least that was ‘cause of her, not me!”

“Okay, fine! Someone screwed up!” Lightning’s voice. “You can decide who later!”

Serah picked her bow back up and shot down a clear path while Snow pummeled the ghosts who got too close to her.

They kept the numbers manageable, but that wouldn’t last forever.

“Yeul!” Deuce yelled.

Fang saw it out of the corner of her eye. A dead person floated up to Yeul, the girl with no way of defending herself.

Yeul reached out and gripped its wrist. It vanished.

The wind picked up. Fang’s hair whipped about her as she flung her spear to and fro. In the distance, she saw more coming. They couldn’t touch the source, not with the search party in there.

Fang screamed. Mowed the monsters down but couldn’t ignore the weight of the crystal in her pouch.

Thunder rumbled nearby, more wind pushed against her. The air grew thick and muggy.

“Come on,” she whispered to herself. Pulled the eidolith out and threw it to the air. “Come _on,_ Bahamut!”

A gust just about knocked her over. She ignored it and leapt into the air. Shattered the crystal.

And somewhere faraway, a power woke.

A circle of runes, of light and dark drawn to life in the sky about her. Dark clouds gathered.

Bahamut ripped through and blasted the space with a gale force wind that yanked Fang toward the ground again.

Fang slammed into… not grass. Bahamut’s red claws curled protectively around her and Fang stumbled back to her feet. Spit blood from a break in her cheek. “Hey, old friend.”

They exchanged no words, but she felt a reminder from him. That plan of his, the plan other Eidolons would come for they had no place they truly belonged anymore.

And they had something to give.

He bowed his head and let her down in the grass again before he flew off and took out hundreds of ghosts at once with one of those gusts of his.

Ghosts screamed and a pink girl jumped in with hands alight in white magic. She levitated into the air and spun to catch another wave before that man in the green stripes joined her and scorched the region with a blast of fire.

Another circle burst to life on the ground. The air _smoked_.

Brynhildr burst through and slammed a fist into the ground before the world around them lit with fire. The green-striped man exclaimed wonder at the sight and drifted closer to the Eidolon. They fell into a rhythm together with Sazh.

Wind whipped about and forced the weaker men to the ground. Some backed off from the rising flames.

Edgar forced his way through the assailants with one of those machine blades of his and took to Lightning’s side. The two worked together better than Fang thought possible.

Brynhildr and Bahamut laid waste to the force of the dead and it didn’t take long to send many of them retreating into the burning forest.

 A shame, given how many deserved a smoother transition.

* * *

Celes knelt beside the train and pushed against it. It creaked and groaned but gave no sign of returning to its feet.

A distorted chant joined them and she looked behind to find Vivi’s hands spread to the side. He spoke in a foreign language.

“Any chance we could make this go faster?” Locke asked, out of breath. He pushed with his good shoulder, the other one dangling at his side. Not lifeless, but not exerted.

Celes heaved again. Vivi clapped and it felt… lighter. She gritted her teeth. The sooner they managed this, the sooner they would move to help outside.

It regained its weight and fell back against the ground.

“There is no time for this!” Celes shot to her feet. “We play at a fool’s errand while our people die!”

“Should we not to return this to its rightful state, then the dead will have not a way to move on!” Cyan said.

“The _living_ are our concern.” Celes gestured out towards the castle. “Not the dead.”

“Aren’t they one and the same in the end?” Locke spoke quietly. “This is where our people will go eventually.”

Celes forced a breath.

“C’mon, one more try.” Locke gave her a pleading look. “Please?”

“Put your mind to it,” Vivi said, then started chanting again, hands held out to the side.

Without the train, their friends would die and remain on Ruin as tortured souls.

She heaved. Used all her strength and tried again.

The train groaned and budged.

Celes gave a cry and pushed harder. Her body protested, her muscles pained. Locke and Cyan grunted and the train inched further.

Vivi clapped again.

“For our world!” Celes cried. “For _Ruin_!”

The train lifted. Weight left her.

A deafening _thud_ and the thing returned to its place on the tracks.

Locke choked and collapsed into a heap. Grunted with the weight on his arm.

“Uh oh.”  Vivi glanced towards the overgrowth. “You’re gonna have to take another way out, because it’s burning over there.”

Celes dropped to her knees. The air felt thick. How much smoke did they breathe and how long did it last for?

“Do you know another way out of here?” Locke asked, voice hoarse.

“Verily, we must-” Cyan cut himself off as a dampness grew over them. Celes blinked at the sight. The dead gathered and boarded the train.

With so many, how long had the train been on its side? They’d been keeping their numbers up for quite a while, stagnating their losses. To get it this bad, the train would have fallen at least months before.

Most of these dead would have had to have come from other settlements, ones that Kohlingen rarely traded with.

Were there more out there?

“Look.” Locke moved forward in a crouch. “They’re all coming from that direction.”

Celes took a deep breath and followed the flow backwards.

Then rain fell.

* * *

“This was by no means what we expected, but it should do well enough.” Galuf chuckled, a sound that Sabin had trouble understanding.

The two towering monsters that stood near where the ghosts retreated looked as still as sentries in the night and he could only assume they were the ones mentioned by Deuce the other day.

Sabin shook his head in disbelief and walked through the pouring rain toward them.

“Sabin!” Blue moved ahead of him and he squinted his eyes, raised a hand to keep the rain out.

“Fang?”

She came to stand before him, expression intent. “I’ve got a ride to catch. See you later?”

Sabin blinked. “Where are you going?”

“Just to find some friends. Probably won’t be back.” She beamed and Sabin wondered at the excitement in her voice. “Good luck with… everything.”

“What are they?” He gestured toward the new monsters.

“Just some Eidolons wanting to make this world livable again. I’d head back to Kohlingen soon, if I were you. Bet the fields are gonna need some management.”

“Right, but-”

“You’ll figure it out. And you’re welcome!” She slapped him on the shoulder and _jumped_. He never saw a dragoon fly so high.

The Eidolons vanished shortly after.

Someone shouted behind him and he turned to see Terra jumping in place and waving to catch his attention.

Beside her stood Celes. Locke. Cyan.

Disbelief swelled inside and Sabin burst into a run. “You made it!”

Then slipped in the wet grass.

He slammed into the ground, rear first. Grunted at the pain.

“The train had fallen,” Celes explained as he recovered his dignity. “We fixed it and now the dead can return to their typical paths.”

“That should be my duty here done.” Galuf nodded to himself. “But keep an eye out for that monster of a god.”

“What now to which do we commit ourselves?” Cyan asked. Sabin laughed and clapped Cyan on the back.

“We go back to Kohlingen. We survive. We _live_.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

Sabin found his way down to the infirmary encampment on the Fields of Renewal. Dozens of makeshift tents had been erected in the fresh, pure air that washed over the land. He breathed deep and savored the sensation like it was his last.

The morning sun hid behind an overcast sky, the grass was dewy beneath his feet, and the breeze felt chilly on his skin.

He found Terra in her own little tent they set up shortly after the battle.

“Mind if I come in?” he asked from beyond the cloth entrance.

Terra gave an affirmative and he slipped in.

Color returned to her face and her eyes sparkled with life. “Sabin.” She stood without a sign of her old illness for now. “Can I see the others, now?”

Strago’s cautiousness was warranted, but Sabin had a hard time seeing it as necessary. “More than fine.” Sabin felt a deep comfort grow inside of him. “We had no casualties and with the magic in the air, some of the others are finding out how to use it. They’ll need a teacher.”

Terra smiled and snapped her fingers, summoned a tiny flame. “That might be nice, but… I have something I want to do first.”

Sabin watched the fire float above her raised palm. “You’re hired if you want it. Want to talk to the aliens with me?”

He held the cloth door for her and they left together.

They talked about nothing and everything on the way and he never enjoyed pointless talk more.

“Oh, hey!” Sabin raised a hand as he caught sight of the three underneath a canvas and talking to Setzer.

Leonora looked… better. But he could see their urgency to get her somewhere safer.

Sabin ducked under the covering with Terra behind him.

Palom folded his arms. “We’re leaving. What do you want?”

“I wanted to say thanks. You made a difference out there.”

“I wouldn’t have.” Terra sat on an old chair. “Sorry again.”

“Please, don’t worry about it.” Leonora waved a hand from her bed.

Porom gave Leonora a worried glance. “Anyway, we were thinking of taking the train, if that’s okay with you.”

Man, shouldn’t there be a better way? “Knock yourself out,” Sabin said. “And feel free to visit any time.”

“Actually…” Terra took a deep breath. “I was wondering if I could go with you.”

Sabin drew up short. Jaw dropped. “You just said you wanted to teach… ?”

“I also want to leave.” Terra looked at him with resolve in her eyes. “For now. I want to see what else is out there.”

“You’re barely better. What if you get stranded without magic?”

Porom said, “We’re heading back to our own world. Assuming we can find it, she should be fine with the magic there, right”

“I will accompany you.” Setzer rolled a few dice between his fingers. “Should be quite the travelling party at this size.”

Sabin furrowed his brow. There was no chance Setzer had a reason outside of just wanting to travel. But he supposed he couldn’t judge the man for his irresponsibility when he didn’t have the same charges as Sabin and Edgar.

Palom adjusted his sashed belt. “Let’s get going, already. I’m sick of this rotting planet.”

“Manners,” Porom hissed.

“No, I understand.” Sabin leaned back. “I wouldn’t want to stay on another world any longer than I had to.”

“Even if your world is this one?” Palom asked. Porom dropped her face into her hands.

Sabin thought about it for a moment. “It’s easy to say now, but yes. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“If you’re sure.” Palom gestured to Porom, who glanced up from her hands. “Let’s get Leonora ready to move.”

She groaned and followed him.

Sabin took the cue to go check in on Edgar, who was right where Sabin thought he’d be. In the throne room of the castle, staring up at the old tapestries hanging above the throne.

“Think we’ll get any for yesterday?” Sabin asked, stopping beside his brother. Edgar nodded.

“I’m sure some artists will produce renditions.” Edgar rubbed at his head. “Relm was drawing up a storm of her own when I saw her.”

Sabin chuckled lightly. The two thrones stood, still strong despite everything.

“Think he’d be proud of us?” Sabin asked. His father had wanted him to stay. “Proud of me?”

Edgar gave him an appraising look. “How would he not be? We’ve saved the world more times than he ever did.” He chuckled.

Sabin felt a warmth inside, but couldn’t bring himself to laugh just yet. Hoped that the issues of the greater cosmos steered clear of their world.

* * *

Rosa stood on the upper walls of Castle Baron, watching the sun sink beyond the horizon. It lit the skies and grounds of Baron in brilliant hues of orange, yellow, and red. The air was cool from the early autumn, a warm breeze from the west.

Nothing happened since they obliterated the gate. None other appeared and no other intruder found their way onto their world.

Rosa swept a hand across the battlement, roughened stone cool beneath her touch. They all struggled to find an answer to the looming question. How were they meant to respond to this?

Rosa sighed as the last of the light slipped beyond the horizon and accepted that it was past time to head in.

The air inside the castle was warmer than outside with the sun gone and Rosa shivered despite her robe. Descended the center stairwell.

She stayed above too long.

It was a futile hope that kept her up. She went every day to pray for the world and oft stayed to watch the sun set. But no answer came to ease the pain, the uncomfortable weight that pressed on her chest.

No sign yet of those who vanished in Mysidia.

The halls were emptier than she expected. Perhaps Cecil or Kain attended a council. Rosa arrived at the table she usually ate at with her husband and her son, but not a soul met her.

She turned away from the empty table and walked into the throne room. There, she finally found guards.

“Where is the King?” Rosa asked, voice echoing off the otherwise silent stone walls. The guards saluted her.

“Called to the stabled fleet on a word of urgency, Majesty.”

Rosa nodded in thanks and made her way there. Lifted the hem of her robe to avoid tripping as she descended the staircase and pushed through the front door. On her way she saw a scattering of soldiers, but once out the door she found dozens more, led in drills by Kain.

“Hold! Salute!” Kain led the soldiers in acknowledging their queen. The Red Wings remained on the ground.

“Your soldiers follow orders exceptionally well, Sir Kain.” Rosa kept it formal in front of the troops, even though she saw Ceodore amongst them.

Kain stood stiff. “Of course, my Queen. As anything may prove, we must be ready at a moment’s notice for the good of our whole world.” His silver and blue armor sparkled even in the low light.

“Please, return to your duties.” Rosa left them before Kain could question her.

And there, at the base of the fleet, was a gathering of people. Many of whom wore no Baron uniform.

“I’ve missed much.” Rosa came to stand beside Cecil and eyed the gathering. “When were we meant to entertain so many visitors?”

Luca was no surprise. Rosa was convinced the Dwarfish princess spent more time in Baron than her own kingdom, but she did not expect Edge.

“Rosa.” Cecil offered a hand and she took it. “Luca brought us some visitors and relayed a communication that she received hours ago.”

“Edge?” Rosa asked. “What are you doing here?”

He stiffened. Said nothing.

“Hey!” Cid disembarked from one ship, which Rosa only then realized wasn’t adorned with the red sails of the Wings. “Cecil, you good with housing ‘em for now? They’re lookin’ dead tired!”

Rosa’s heart stopped as a few figures showed up behind him. Gaunt, thin, and shaking, but alive. Palom, Porom, and Leonora descended the ship’s ramp after Cid.

“You…” Rosa choked on the words. “They’re alive?”

Two more followed them, ones Rosa didn’t recognize. A pale, young woman wearing a short red dress with curly, platinum blonde hair tied up behind her head and a man with long silver hair and a black coat who looked healthier than any of the other four.

“What’s this?” Rosa asked.

Porom waved their way with a thin smile. Leonora leaned on Palom and he guided her through the crowd. Medics rushed to their side, but he wouldn’t let them take Leonora from him. Porom kept close and the lot of them moved off.

“Mana deprivation,” Luca whispered their way. “Like they went underwater and held their breath for too long.”

“We’re Terra and Setzer of the World of Ruin.” The girl with curly hair met them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

They brought back _aliens_? Rosa saw a lot in her lifetime, but… they were just going to take _aliens_ to and from? “Good to have you,” she managed. “You look ill – can I take you to the medicinal wing?”

There was no argument. On the way back, Rosa kept an eye on the two. Terra and Cecil spoke on harmless subjects while Setzer talked quietly with Luca.

Minutes later and they were all inside the healing room. Palom, Porom, and Leonora beat them all and Rosa made out dried blood near Leonora’s headpiece.

Setzer refused care, but Terra sat on a bed with little prompting.

Rosa took to Terra’s bed. “What is it I can help you with?” She pulled white magic from her core to her fingertips and put her hands together in focus.

Terra smiled and gave a quiet, twinkling laugh. “I don’t know if I need it anymore. I’m half Esper, so I needed only energy to absorb.” She glanced around the room. “I feel whole already.”

Setzer folded his arms beside her with a small smile. “Good to hear.”

Rosa dampened the magic in her hands. “That’s… impressive.”

“What’s an Esper?” Edge asked.

“Um.” Terra paused. “Like… what was it they said lived here?”

Edge looked between Rosa, Cecil, and the trio. His mask was down, and his mouth twisted into a grimace, but again, said nothing to explain his displeasure.

“Is something wrong?” Terra asked.

Edge scoffed. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Edge, they’re back.” Rosa nodded towards the trio and prodded Terra’s systems with white magic. She did seem healthier than she appeared.

“Not talking about them.”

Then…

“I went to Mist. Have any of you been to Mist recently?” Edge shook. “Rydia’s gone. She never came back after she left with that… that _creature._ ”

“Rosa.” Cecil came to stand beside her. “If I recall, Rydia was last seen with Bartz?”

Rosa nodded, head light.

“These two aren’t malicious, I promise.” Porom came their way. “We saw their world. It was tattered and it fairs better now, but we’ve seen enough to know that they are not our enemies.”

“Think what you will.” Edge turned on his heel. “Whenever you two are up to it, we’ll talk about world travel and protecting our borders. Meanwhile, _I’m_ going to go keep Cuore under control.”

He slammed the door behind him.

If there were worlds out there struggling to survive, then was it right to stay on their own, watching from a distance?

“We had some news to share with Rydia,” Leonora said after an extended silence. “We saw Eidolons, just like when she summons.”

Rosa paused. “The Cie?”

“Um, I don’t-” Leonora glanced to Palom and Porom.

“Probably,” Palom said.

“It sounds like we should be ready to take action,” Cecil said.

Cid huffed by the door. “I think it’s about time Luca and I show you all what we’ve been working on. Thinkin’ it could be good for our visitors.”

Rosa looked up. “Already?”

“I think I need to help the three of you a little more before you go anywhere.” Aden, their top mage, stopped Porom from leaving.

Rosa, Cecil, and Luca, along with the two curious visitors, followed Cid out to his engineering bay, a large room made mostly out of temporary wood. They constructed it under his pleas after recovering control and healing many broken pieces of Baron after coming back from the moon the last time.

They stepped inside.

Cid had released snippets here and there, as had Luca, about learning a thing or two from the Lunar Whale’s construction and using that to create some incredible new type of airship. Rosa understood that it was meant to mimic the Lunar Whale, to be their own rowboat to the stars.

But the massive thing that stood in front of her was no new model. It looked like a piece-by-piece recreation of the Lunar Whale itself. It loomed above them, looking somehow more massive than the original.

“I should have found more time to check on this.” Rosa gasped, breathing hard. It was so far along. There were few construction railings still standing, it had to be near complete.

Luca chuckled and stood proud, hands on hips. “You could actually thank the dolls for that. Calca and Brina were able to record just about all of the ship’s specs. Most everything about this thing was a breeze, to be honest.”

A Lunar Whale stood proud in front of them. One that they themselves created.

“I’m sorry, what is that?” Terra asked.

Cid guffawed. “It’s a ship, lass. One that can take you to the stars.”

A smile spread across Setzer’s face as his eyes widened. “Would you allow a look inside?”

Luca paused. “Sure, but I don’t know what that would help.”

“Ah.” Setzer brushed his long silver hair behind his ear. “I’ve constructed an airship of my own, in the past. I’m quite interested to see how this one works.”

Luca’s mouth hung open. “Really? Yeah, sure, I’d love to show you around!” She jumped forward, Setzer on her heels. Terra hung back, still admiring the ship from a distance.

“A full new Lunar Whale.” Cecil’s eyes sparkled. “It may just be a rowboat, but it can still take us so far.”

Rosa took his hand in hers. “Farther than we’ve ever gone.”


End file.
